Rogue
by angelofdarkness78
Summary: Set before 411 on the DL. What if it hadn’t been Zack who walked into Jam Pony, but X5-494, gone rogue after the Berrisford mission had gone wrong? AU MA
1. Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel, or any of its characters. I am not in any way profiting from this – it is merely for my own enjoyment and that of others.

Rating: T (for now)

Timeframe: Set right before 411 on the DL. AU

Summary: What if it hadn't been Zack who walked into Jam Pony, but X5-494, gone rogue after the Berrisford mission had gone wrong?

Pairing: MA

A/N: Yes, I realize that it is incredibly stupid of me to be starting a new fic when I still have to finish Evalasting Trouble (it WILL be finished), but I can't seem to get this idea out of my head and I don't think it's been done often. So, here I am, trying to get it out of my system. I will warn you that it might take me a while between updates as I have a health condition, but I hope you guys will enjoy this and please give me some feedback so that I can improve my writing. :)

* * *

_And nothing's going to change the way we live  
Cos' we can always take but never give  
And now that things are changing for the worse,  
See, it's a crazy world we're living in  
And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin  
Is all we have to give these -_

_Futures made of virtual insanity now  
Always seem to, be governed by this love we have  
For useless, twisting, our new technology  
Oh, now there is no sound - for we all live underground_

_Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai_

Hot run, 466 Beech Crescent!" Normal shouted. He frowned when no one moved. "Oh great, I'm talking to myself. Bip, bip, bip people! This is a running establishment, not a café! Get your asses moving!"

A young, scraggly haired man ran past him, and Normal stuck out his foot, effectively tripping him. The man lay sprawled on the floor for a second before getting up and glaring at him.

"What the hell was that for, Normal?" Sketchy barely had the words out of his mouth before a package was plopped into his arms.

"Hot run. Beat it." Normal turned to walk away, and then paused. "And where's Max?"

Sketchy fumbled for an excuse, looking around helplessly as if the answer would magically appear out of the air.

"Her, um, aunt died," he stammered. Normal looked at him blankly.

"And this would be... the 3rd time she died?"

"This one's from her father's side."

"I see. Well, you can tell Max that she's no longer working here if she doesn't get here in the next 60 seconds. You got that?" He rolled his eyes and moved behind the counter.

"Degenerates. All of them. Good for nothing, stupid – "

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if there was a position open?"

Normal didn't even look up. "Nope. I've got enough low-lives to last me until the cows come home.

"Well sir, if a position ever opens, could you let me know? I'm not afraid of hard work, and at my last job I even put in extra hours than was needed."

Normal froze, something finally registering in his mind. He looked at the young man standing before him. "Did you just call me sir?"

The young man grinned. He was a little over 6 feet, with dark blonde hair and sparkling hazel eyes. He was of a light build, but still well toned and muscular. He looked to be around 20 years of age, judging by the youthful look of his face. Normal's mouth dropped open. The man looked like a swimsuit model.

"Yes sir," the man responded. "If you could just give me an application?"

Normal looked him over. "No need. You're hired. We could use a good strong man like you here."

The man shot him an easy smile. "Well, thank you sir. You won't be disappointed."

"Please, call me Reagan. And your name is?"

The man's face blanched for a moment, and then smoothed over just as quickly. "Alec. My name is Alec."

* * *

Max hurriedly walked into Jam Pony, checking her watch for the fourth time.

"Shit," she muttered.

The night before, Max had done a little Eyes Only work for Logan. Pasha Asimov was the resident bad guy of the week with 14 counts of murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, and countless other things under his belt, but no one had any proof to put him away. She had done her thing, and swung by Logan's in the morning with enough evidence to put the guy away for years. She hadn't meant to stay long, but he had convinced her to stay for breakfast, not that he had to try very hard. Man, the guy could cook.

"Boo, where have you been?" Her best friend, Original Cindy, shot her a look as she opened her locker. "Normal is on the warpath today."

"Got caught up somewhere," she replied. Cindy raised her eyebrows.

"Mmhmm? And would this somewhere be the apartment of a rich boy with glasses?"

Max shot her an amused look. "It was just breakfast."

"Whatever boo, but 'just breakfast' becomes 'just dinner' and then 'just wild sex after the just dinner'. I'm just saying."

"O.C.!" Max laughed. "We're not like that."

"Sure sugar." Cindy took out a sweater and slammed her locker shut. "Anyways, you hear the news? Normal hired someone."

"He did? Thought he didn't want to add to his growing pile of slackers," she responded.

"This honey is damn fine. Almost makes me want to bat for the other team."

"No way. That good?"

Cindy nodded conspiratorially. "I'm telling you girl. He is sweet as sugar."

Max chuckled. "I gotta meet this guy."

Cindy nodded over her shoulder. "Go ahead. He's right over there, talking to Sketchy." She grabbed Max's arm and dragged her over to where the two men were standing.

"Move aside, fool," she ordered, smacking Sketchy upside his head. Wincing, he did as he was told, revealing the other man standing beside him. Max's breath caught in her throat.

Cindy was right. The guy was gorgeous. He had perfectly set features, tanned skin, and full, strong lips. But that wasn't what made her stare.

His eyes. Hazel eyes, with brown flecks around the iris. They seemed so familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen them before. It was strange. Even though his face seemed open and light-hearted, his eyes told another story. They were more serious, with a hint of knowledge beyond his years. They reminded her of...

"_Tell us a story, Ben," Max said._

"_Which one do you want to hear tonight, Maxie?" he replied. _

"_Tell us about the Nomalies," Zack said. Normally, he would give the orders, but storytelling was Ben's department, and when it came to that, he called the shots._

"_No," interjected Jack. "Tell us about the Blue Lady."_

_Ben smiled, his hazel eyes lighting up at the chance to talk about his favourite subject. _

"_Well, the Blue Lady..."_

"Ben," Max whispered. The man looked at her, confused.

"No, my name's Alec," he told her. He ran his eyes up and down her body and grinned. She was a looker, that was for sure. "And tell me, honey, what's your name?"

The hopeful look that had come into her eyes vanished instantly, and Max berated herself for being so stupid. _What are the chances he would show up here anyway?_ She bristled at the pet name.

"The name's Max. And I'm not your honey," she retorted. A surprised look came over him at her reaction. He had never had a problem with women before. What was her deal?

"Alright," he said, putting up his hands. "No need to bite my head off. Geez."

_How could I think this guy was Ben? Way too cocky. _

"Well, look who decided to show up for work. It's too bad, Missy Miss, that you are no longer employed here," Normal said.

"Aw, come on Normal! My –"

"Aunt died, again. Yes, this idiot over here told me. My sympathies. Now go."

She put on the saddest look she could manage, and softened her voice. "I'm really broken up about it, Normal."

"Save it for someone who believes you. Besides, now we've got Alec working for us. He's my Golden boy. We don't need you."

"Let's not be too hasty, Reagan," Alec interrupted. "I wouldn't want to be responsible for this nice young lady losing her job."

Normal hesitated for a moment, deliberating. Finally, he sighed, grabbed a package off of the counter, and threw it at her.

"Fine. But you're in charge of showing Alec the ropes. You two are working sector 4 today. Scram."

Alec smirked at her. "Aren't you gonna say thank you?"

"No," she said flatly. "I don't need your help, pretty boy."

"Sure looks like you did."

"Well, I didn't. And I sure as hell don't want to spend the rest of my day with you."

He looked at her incredulously. "What _is_ your problem? Or are you this _friendly_ to every new person you meet?"

"You just seem to bring out the best in me," she said sweetly.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"

"Don't have one. I was cooked up in a test tube."

Sketchy chuckled at that, but the laugh that Alec gave was strained. He looked at her more carefully now, and she shifted uneasily. She'd meant it as a joke, because she knew that no ordinary would ever think that she was actually telling the truth. But from the way he was looking at her now...

_He couldn't be from Manticore, could he?_

* * *

X5-494 was tired, stressed, and trying to erase the past two months of his life from his mind. His first deep-cover solo op for Manticore, and he had blew it.

_Your target is Robert Berrisford. _

_You will be posing as his daughter's piano teacher, Simon Lehane. _

_He knows too much. Take them both out._

_I'm not who you think I am._

_NO! RACHEL!_

_An explosion._

He knew he had to get away after that. Manticore was already there. He could see the standard black Hummer outside. They had set off the charge. They had killed her.

No. _He_ did.

He couldn't let them take him back there. He knew what would happen. Reindocrination and Psy-Ops, if they didn't just decide that he was a defect and kill him on the spot. One part of him didn't care, felt that he deserved to die after what had happened to Rachel, but another part, the part bred for survival, made instinct and the need for self-preservation take over. His mind was gone, and his body was in control, his legs pumping as he ran away from the house. Ran away from Manticore. Ran away from the whole situation.

He had ended up in an alley somewhere, exhausted and half out of his mind, and he just passed out. The moment he had woken up, he knew he had to find a place to stay and think things over. He pocketed the cash left over from the mission, grabbed a newspaper, and found a rundown apartment to hide out in. He knew Manticore would be scouring the city looking for him, so he moved stealthily, hiding his face and keeping to himself. Eventually, he realized he would need some sort of job to get a sector pass and make some cash – he knew Manticore would find it suspicious if there was suddenly a string of robberies in Seattle. He was counting on the fact that they would think he wasn't stupid enough to stay in the city and had moved on elsewhere.

He had found this place Jam Pony by accident. He had seen some guy on a bike making a delivery get through the sector checkpoints pretty easily, and had followed him back to the place. He knew all it would take to get the job was to turn on the charm, and just as he had anticipated, it worked.

_Ordinaries. They're so predictable._

The people seemed nice enough. The guy he had followed turned out to be named Sketchy. He was alright to talk to, if not all there. And then there was this Max girl. Damn, but she was gorgeous. She had a hell of an attitude though, but there was something about her... he liked her fire.

"_Don't have one. I was cooked up in a test tube." _

That was a strange thing to say. It almost made him wonder...

_She couldn't be a transgenic, could she?_

* * *

A/N: So, it's a little short, but I felt it was an appropriate place to end it. I think I did something weird when I changed over to Alec's perspective, but I hope it's not too awkward feeling. Anyways, let me know if I should continue this.


	2. Recognition

A/N: Thanks to everyone for all of your lovely reviews. It really motivates me to write more. I'm glad that you guys are liking the start, so without further ado, here's the next chapter!

* * *

 _I've got trouble, trouble, trouble  
Always knocking at my door  
Yes, I'm a whole lot of trouble, baby  
Just like a kid in a candy store_

_Well, I'm nothing but trouble, babe  
Not since the day that I was born_

_I Got Trouble, Christina Aguilera_

"Now listen up. A Jam Pony messenger is kind, courteous, and always gets a signature," Max instructed as they rode their bikes. "You don't get a signature, you gotta come back. Think your itty bitty brain can remember that?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Yes ma'am." He gave her a mock salute.

Max nodded to a house up ahead. "This is it."

The house was quaint, with the stereotypical white picket fence surrounding the front lawn, and rose bushes filling the air with a sweet scent. They stopped at the small gate, dismounted from their bikes, and started to move up the stairs, Alec leading the way. As he passed in front of her, Max remembered the thought she had had back at Jam Pony, and an idea occurred to her. She moved her hand towards his collar, intending to see if he had a barcode.

Alec was almost to the top of the stairs when all of a sudden the hairs on the back of his neck rose, and his body coiled tightly, as it would when it sensed an attack.

She was centimetres away when suddenly he whirled around and his hand grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip, startling her. He studied her, his eyes searching hers suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" he said slowly, his voice low and serious. The playfulness had gone out of his face, and he didn't loosen his grip. Her eyes flickered in surprise at being caught, and she put on the most innocent look she could manage.

"I thought I saw a bug on your shirt. I was going to brush it off." She frowned, looking irritated. "Forgive me for trying to do you a favour."

"You've been nothing but hostile all day," he replied. "Why would you care?" Still, his hold on her finally loosened, and her answer seemed to appease him. She snatched her arm back and rubbed it, surprised at his strength. She was much stronger than your average person and it took a lot to faze her, but surprisingly her arm still throbbed. She was frustrated that he had managed to catch her in the act, despite the fact that she hadn't made a sound while doing it. And she hadn't been able to sneak a glimpse of his neck.

He solved her problem a moment later as he pulled down his collar and twisted his neck around. "I don't see anything. Must have flown away."

Max observed his smooth skin and it held no trace of ink. _Still, he could have lasered it off like I did. And how the hell did he know what I was doing?_ She had no idea how to react if he was from Manticore. If it turned out to be true, then he was probably sent to Seattle by Lydecker to find her and bring her back, in which case she should start packing and get the hell out of dodge. If he wasn't, and he was just a pain in the ass with really attuned senses, then she was worrying for nothing.

Unbeknownst to her, Alec was having the same thoughts. _She seemed to be telling the truth. But something's... off about her. _He couldn't put his finger on what. Maybe it was her comment from earlier on that day that was bugging him, or her actions just now. Or, if he was being completely honest with himself, maybe he was still surprised at her rejection of him before. He knew he was attractive – Manticore had designed all of them to be that way, and all the women he had encountered had naturally gravitated towards him. The fact that this little spitfire seemed to be immune to his charms intrigued him.

He was so lost in thought that he missed the very last step and tripped, falling flat on his face. Max burst out laughing, and he gave her a disgruntled look as he dusted himself off.

_So much for feline grace,_ he thought.

"So glad I could provide your chuckle of the day," he muttered. "I was starting to wonder if you had any sense of humour at all."

She stifled her laughter, although her lips wouldn't stop twitching. _What was I thinking? DEFINTELY not from Manticore_.

They finally made it to the door, rang the doorbell, and waited. A minute later it opened, and an elderly woman of about 60 stepped out.

"Delivery, sign here please," Alec said, shoving the package into the old woman's arms. Max gave him a glare and pinched his arm, then smiled sweetly at the woman.

"Oh, let me get my glasses," the woman said, then waddled off.

"What part of 'kind and courteous' did you not understand?" she hissed.

"I said 'please'," he retorted. He stepped a little closer to the door and surveyed the inside. His eyes caught on something and a smile played at his lips. _Grandma's got herself a plasma screen TV_. He made a mental note of the address and decided to pay a little visit in the middle of the night. Television was a luxury Manticore never offered; they never wanted their soldiers to be aware of the outside world in case it ever planted ideas in their heads to run away, and the rec room was more filled with activities that doubled as games and a way to made them exercise their skills. Pool, foosball, and other such things were approved because it made them think in a strategic way to outwit their opponent. It was only on missions that they ever had the chance to watch some old pre-pulse movies or TV show reruns.

_Missions. _

_Rachel._

He pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't think about her right now.

He continued to look for anything of worth that he could fence later when he noticed that Max had been strangely quiet for the past couple of minutes. He realized with a start that she seemed to be doing the same thing as him – her eyes were darting quickly throughout the interior of the house, seemingly searching for something. An amused look came across his face. Times were tough these days in the city. Could it be possible that the resident bitch was also a thief in secret?

Feeling his eyes on her, Max stopped casing the place. She didn't know if he knew what she doing, but she disliked the fact that he kept catching her unawares. It was unnerving to say the least. She noted a nice TV, but even she had her limits from who to steal from. She wasn't going to take some old granny's TV. Maybe a few small trinkets though...

Max bit her lip. She knew Logan would never approve, but then again, what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. Besides, he just didn't understand. It wasn't _thievery_ exactly, it was... commerce.

"Do you think she died on the way?" Alec whispered. "It's been like, 5 minutes."

Max nudged him hard in the gut as her ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching. Slowly.

"Where do I sign?" the old lady asked, large pink glasses now perched on the edge of her nose.

"Right here ma'am," Alec said, a winning smile on his face as he pointed to the spot. He looked at Max, who rolled her eyes at his blatant exaggeration of politeness.

"Thank you, dearie," the woman said. They turned to leave when she stopped them. "Wait a moment!" She put something in each of their palms. Alec stared at it.

"Aw. A quarter. Another one of these and I can buy a cup of coffee," Alec quipped. He received another pinch on his arm.

"Have a nice day," Max said pleasantly.

"Stop pinching me."

"Shut up."

"You have serious anger management issues, you know that?"

"Deal with it."

All of a sudden, a buzz filled the air. Max checked the pager that she had clipped onto her pants.

"Logan," she murmured.

"Logan," Alec repeated. "Boyfriend?"

"None of your business," she replied.

"Can't imagine any man putting up with you," he said under his breath. "You're like a female fog bank."

Max froze, recognizing the words as ones Darren had said to her a couple of months ago. It wasn't true, was it? This was the second time a guy said that to her. For some reason, it bothered her. She wasn't that closed off, was she?

Alec noted the troubled look on her face, and felt regretful. He had a strange feeling he had upset her, and that didn't sit well with him. He hesitantly put his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Hey now. I didn't mean it. I mean, some guys like girls who abuse them," he joked. She glared at him, a look he was quickly becoming accustomed to. She shrugged off his hand.

"Whatever pretty boy. I need to find a phone."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his own. "Here. Use this." He held it out to her as a sort of peace offering. She paused for a second, and then took it. She quickly dialled Logan's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Me hitting you back. What's up?"

There was silence for a second as he did something. "Where are you calling from? Who's Carl Giovanni?"

Max frowned and looked questioningly at Alec. "Carl Giovanni?" she mouthed.

He shrugged. "Borrowed it from a friend."

"I'm using someone else's phone. What's going on?"

"There's a genetics conference going on in town tonight. A bunch of world-renowned scientists are going to be there, one of them being a Dr. Tanaka. He took a baby born 3 months premature and addicted to crack, moved his genes around, and now he's a child prodigy. I thought, I don't know, you might be interested. Maybe you can learn something about how to stop your seizures?"

Max glanced at Alec, who was apparently studying something down the street. Still, she moved a little further away so that he couldn't hear.

"Thanks for the heads up Logan. But I can't exactly waltz right in there."

"Already got that covered. Your name's Rachel Glasser. You're a journalist covering the conference for Biotech frontiers magazine."

Max smiled. "Thanks Logan. I really appreciate this."

"No problem. Be careful."

She hung up the phone and handed it back to Alec. "Thanks."

"No problem." He tucked it away. "Where to?"

"Umm..." She checked the address on the next package. "87 Euclid." She shuddered. "Ew. I know what's in this package."

"Oh?"

"Herbal told me. You haven't met him yet. This guy has a thing for uh, 'homemade videos'," she told him. He immediately got what she was saying and snickered.

"Let's get this dealio over with. I've got things to do." She got onto her bike and motioned for him to follow her.

As they made their way to their next destination, Alec's mind whirred with the information he had overheard. It hadn't mattered that she had moved away from him – she could have moved all the way down the block for all the difference it made. His enhanced hearing picked up every word as if he had been the one on the phone.

Genetics conference? Seizures? He knew that almost all of the X5s had a serotonin deficiency and suffered from seizures, but Manticore had corrected the defect in all of them years ago once it realized its mistake.

If she was Manticore, and she still had seizures, it would mean that she wasn't around when they were all fixed. And if she hadn't been around...

She was an '09er.

* * *

 "Let me see if I understand this correctly. X5-494 was unable to complete his task, resulting in some of our agents having to detonate the charge for him. He then fled from our soldiers and is now anywhere in the whole damn country, obviously gone rogue. And you are unable to find him."

Lydecker tapped his desk. "It's only been a week. I ordered a 10-07 on him. We've got soldiers in every state. There's no way he's going to be able to hide from us."

"I hope so, Deck. Because let me tell you something. The Committee's not happy with you. Not at all. This is your second screw up. They're questioning your ability to direct Manticore."

"This incident with 494 was unforeseen. He had always been the perfect soldier. Smart. Strong. The top of his class. We never had a problem with him."

"You didn't think you had a problem with Unit 2, either, but then they orchestrated an escape where 12, yes, _12_ of them got away. That's a rather large number, Deck. It's been 10 years, and how many have you recaptured? Oh, that's right. Zero. Why is it that I find it hard to believe that 494 will be any different?"

The woman's voice was cruel and mocking, and Lydecker squeezed the phone forcefully, imagining her delicate neck in its place. _Prissy little bitch. Trying to tell me how to run my operations. I'll get my kids back, my way._

"We'll find him," he said tightly.

"You better, Lydecker. Or else... well, I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from."

His ears were met with the sound of a dial tone, and he slammed the phone back down.

"Sandoval!"

A short, balding man stepped into the room. He looked at his boss. "Yes?"

"Double the amount of soldiers searching for 494," he ordered. Sandoval's eyes widened.

"Double? Sir, we've already got more than half of our men looking for him as it is."

Lydecker fixed him with a stern look. "Are you questioning me?"

"No sir. I'll get right on it." He left the room hurriedly.

He looked down at his desk, and picked up a sheet of paper. Tonight though, he was busy. A genetics conference was taking place in Seattle, and he was very interested in the research that Dr. Tanaka had made. He wanted to see if there was anything of use for Manticore's future experiments.

_You better, Lydecker. Or else..._ Her voice echoed in his mind.

Great. Now he had 13 escapees to find.

* * *

 "Where are you going, dressed up so fancy?" Kendra, Max's roommate, stood in her bedroom doorway, watching her button up a cream coloured suit.

"I'm going to this conference thing. Pretty boring," Max answered.

Kendra stepped further into her room. "What type of conference?"

Max ran a brush quickly through her thick mass of dark locks, and then put some lipstick on. "It's about genetics. Don't know much about it really. It's a temp thing. Trying to make some extra dough."

Kendra nodded in agreement. "I hear ya. I've got some kids coming over tonight. I'm teaching them Japanese, and they pay me with whatever they've got. I got some fresh coffee yesterday. Can you believe that? Fresh coffee in this day and age."

"Makes my mouth water." Max zipped up her boots. "I'm good to go. Don't wait up for me. I'll probably be in late."

"Oh, I won't be waiting up." Kendra grinned. "Got a date with Mr. Multiples."

Max laughed. "Have fun then."

She had spent her afternoon making deliveries with Alec who had been weirdly quiet. He had kept giving her odd looks that he thought she couldn't see. She couldn't figure the guy out. One minute he was yapping away and driving her up the wall, the next he was silent and observing.

She shook her head. She wasn't going to think about him now. She had to get to the conference and see if she could somehow get Dr. Tanaka onto the subject of seizures. She sighed.

The things she did with her Friday nights.

* * *

 The sky was dark, with a soft breeze rustling the garbage on the streets. Everyone seemed to be out, celebrating the end of the week. Of course, there wasn't much they could do; nobody had any money and almost all the theatres had gone out of business after the Pulse. Nonetheless, as long as they were kept in pizza and beer, things were golden.

And here he was, hiding in a closet.

He had been trying to figure out what to do all day. He still wasn't a hundred percent sure she was from Manticore, but he was pretty convinced that his suspicions were spot on. He didn't know how to feel if she was an '09er. Back at Manticore they had been trained to think of them as deserters, traitors, and the feeling was reinforced by all of the torture they had endured after the escape to make sure that they would remain loyal. He even had had to endure an extensive stay in Psy-Ops as he was cloned from 493, so the feelings he harboured towards them certainly weren't warm, fuzzy ones. He once resented the fact that they had taken the easy way out and ran away, and he still did to a certain extent, but now he realized bitterly that he had done exactly the same thing.

Deserted his unit, deserted his job, shirked his duty as a soldier...

He laughed harshly. His _duty_. Duty to Manticore. To killing innocent people like Rachel. He had no idea where his loyalties lay anymore. _Rachel..._

The thought pained him, and he pushed her out of his mind again. _Focus_.

Max. Now there was a mystery he wanted to delve deeper into. It helped to have a goal, something to take his mind off of everything that had happened.

Which brought him back to the fact that he was hiding in a closet.

He had decided to go to the genetics conference as well, just to see what she was going to do there and confirm whether or not she was one of the escapees. The problem was, however, that it was a pretty high profile event, which didn't sit well with him. Lydecker's men were still combing the city for him; he had to play it smart. So he had dressed up, put on a bowler hat to cover his face, and snuck in. He also had to make sure that Max didn't see him or else he was screwed, which was why he was in there hiding. She had been walking his way and it was the nearest hiding spot.

Peeking out the keyhole, he saw that the coast was now clear, and so he stepped out and made his way into the main conference room. The presentation had already started, and he saw Max sitting near the aisle in the fifth row. On the stage was a young boy playing the piano with extraordinary finesse, and an older Japanese man standing proudly by him.

Alec recognized the piece. 4 Seasons, by Vivaldi. One of the first pieces he had learned on the piano before... his fists clenched.

Max had the strange feeling someone was watching her. She looked around the room, but everyone's eyes were on the boy. She had to admit, she was extremely impressed. She had only spoken to the doctor for a minute before he was whisked away to speak, but he had promised to talk to her later, and she began to feel some hope that she'd be able to learn something about her seizures.

She refocused on the boy's playing when she felt someone move beside her.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

The voice registered in her mind, and every muscle in her body locked in place. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was the one that haunted her dreams every night. She turned her head slowly, and looked at her worst nightmare straight in the face.

"No." Her voice came out raspier than she had intended, and she cleared her throat. "No, it's free."

Lydecker sat down beside her. "It's amazing, isn't it? How we can fix these kinds of genetic mistakes." He looked at her more carefully. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"I don't think so. I guess I just have one of those faces," she replied. She tucked her hands into her pockets in an effort to stop their shaking.

"Huh. Must have." He looked away from her, back to the boy, and she sighed inwardly with mild relief.

_God, please get me out of here. _

* * *

 "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Alec's body went rigid, and he had to beat down the impulse to blur right out of the room. He couldn't believe he had been such a monumental idiot. This was a genetics conference. He should have figured Lydecker would be interested in this kind of thing. And now he was stuck in a room with the very man he was trying to escape from.

He could see Max's slim form tense up, and that confirmed it for him. If she hadn't known who Lydecker was, she wouldn't have reacted that way. It looked like he didn't recognize her as being one of the escapees, but then again, why would he? 10 years had elapsed, and Max's face had obviously changed since then. His, on the other hand, Lydecker would have no problem identifying.

Okay, he had his proof, so why the hell was he sticking around?

_You can't just leave her here with him,_ a voice in his mind argued. _What if he figures it out? He'll take her back to Manticore in two seconds. _

Well, that idea disturbed him. '09er or not, he knew the home they had come from. He never used to think it was so bad – they had put a roof over his head, fed and clothed him – but his illusions were shattered when he thought about the price they had to pay for their job. And like it or not, she had evaded Lydecker for half her life. If there was anyone who knew about how to stay under the radar, it was her, and he might need her skills in the future.

This meant he had to somehow help her, without exposing his identity. He wanted to keep that a secret for now. He groaned inwardly. How on earth did he ever get himself into these messes?

"Nobody move! We are the May 22nd movement! We are here to free the boy! Stay calm and no one gets hurt!"

A dozen men armed with guns ran onto the stage, one of them grabbing the boy, another taking the doctor. The one with the boy was obviously the leader, as he was barking out orders. More men filled the room, all armed, and took up positions near the exits. Screams filled the air, and people started to panic. The leader continued yelling orders.

"I said, nobody move!" He accentuated the command with a shot towards the ceiling, raining plaster on the people underneath it.

Great. If there was such a thing as God, then he was obviously having a laugh at his expense. At least things couldn't get any worse.

A chunk of plaster hit him on the head.

Maybe he spoke too soon.

* * *

 A/ N: Well, there's chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoyed that. Please review and leave me your thoughts and constructive criticism – I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing. :)


	3. Identifying the Enemy

A/N: I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I'm trying to incorporate some of the Season 1 stuff, but please don't hesitate to tell me if it's becoming too repetitive.

On with the show!

* * *

_Now I ain't tripping (ha)  
I ain't twisted (ha)  
I ain't demented (ha)  
Well just a lil bit (ha)  
I'm kicking ass  
I'm taking names  
I'm on flame  
Don't come home babe_

_I'm breaking dishes, Up in here  
All Night (uh-huh)  
I ain't gonna stop until I see police lights (uh-huh)  
I'm a fight a man tonight  
I'm a fight a man tonight_

_Breaking Dishes, Rihanna_

"Don't move!" the leader commanded again. "Everybody stay in your seats and stay quiet! Let us do our business here and nobody gets hurt!"

Another man came up to him, and whispered something in his ear. Alec tried to ignore the commotion going on and focused on their conversation, absently rubbing his head.

"Police has all of the exits covered," the man was telling his boss. "We can't get out."

A frustrated look came upon his face. "Get them on the line." The man nodded, went away for a moment, and then returned with a phone in his hand. He passed it to his boss.

"Listen closely. I am John Darius. We are the May 22nd movement. We are armed, and we have about 35 hostages in here, so don't screw this up. We want an exit cleared and a van waiting right outside, with guaranteed safe passage for us and the child. If you at any time try to free the hostages without giving us what we want, we will kill one of them every hour. Starting right now."

The man holding on to the doctor smiled menacingly at him. "I don't believe you've had a tour of the building." He then started to drag him away. The boy started screaming, and Dr. Tanaka called out imploringly to Darius.

"Please! He's all I have! I love him as my own son!"

The man scoffed at him. "You love him as your guinea pig." He nodded his head, and the doctor was dragged out of sight.

Alec watched the proceedings, remembering how he had been treated as a lab rat, and all of the experiments they had done to him back at Manticore. He remembered the feeling of his legs being broken, just to see how fast they would heal, and of being chained to the floor in the tank to see how long he could hold his breath. The difference was, Lydecker never harboured the love for them that Dr. Tanaka seemed to have for this kid.

_Lydecker_.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as he was reminded of where he was and what was going on. He looked for Max and saw that she was still in her seat, assessing the situation as he was. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Lydecker nudge her in the side, and saw her barely controlled reaction at being in contact with him.

"Take this. They won't search you," he said under his breath. In his hand was a gun.

Max looked at it in horror. She suppressed a shudder, and shook her head, the aversion obvious on her face. He motioned for her again to take it, and she shook her head more emphatically.

"No." Her voice came out ragged.

_Their feet slapped against the floor, their gowns flapping against their bodies. _

_A way out. They needed to find a way out._

_Lydecker. He would stop them._

_Eva, raising a gun._

_A shot._

_Eva falling._

_Falling._

She looked at him, not bothering to mask the hatred in her eyes. Here was the man she most feared, handing her the object she hated most in the world.

"No," she said again, more forcefully. She knew she was being stupid, knew she was making him suspicious and potentially blowing her cover, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she wanted to be as far away from him and that gun as possible.

Suddenly, there was a chorus of screams, this time coming from outside. Both Alec and Max heard the body hit the concrete below. The leader was still on the phone.

"You've got 59 minutes. Or else you've got another body to clean off the ground."

* * *

Logan wheeled himself through the crowd of spectators outside of the Steinlitz Hotel, making his way to the group of police officers surrounding a body lying on the ground. He had heard about the situation on the news and had made his way down there as fast as he could. He knew Max was still in there. He had paged her several times and called her place, but her roommate had said she was still out.

"Sir, you need to step back." One officer stood in his way, preventing him from going any further.

"I'm Logan Cale. I'm a journalist. I know Darius. I can help," he protested. "Just let me get on the phone with him."

"You're not going to do anything. We're turning this over to the military."

"Let me at least try. Are you willing to risk the lives of all of those hostages?"

The man put his hands firmly on either side of Logan's wheelchair and pushed him backwards until he was behind the yellow caution tape. "I don't care who you are. You are staying behind this line right here, okay? Let the professionals do their job."

Logan opened his mouth to object again but the man walked away, refusing to listen. Logan hit the side of his chair in frustration. Max needed his help. He had to get her out of there somehow.

* * *

Almost another hour had elapsed. Darius was pacing back and forth, tapping his gun as he went. His men still covered all of the exits.

_This isn't good_.

Alec watched the men move about, occasionally hitting people who were being too noisy or moving too much. He knew he could take them out easily, but not without someone noticing. He especially wasn't going to chance it with Lydecker in the room, so he sat as silently as possible and tried not to draw attention to himself.

He couldn't figure out why Max had refused to take the gun that Lydecker had offered her. He found it funny in a twisted sort of way that her worst enemy was trying to give her a weapon that she could potentially use against him.

God, he would kill to have that gun in his hands right now.

Darius checked his watch. "Hour's up. Take another hostage."

Alec sighed. He felt bad for the poor bastard who was going to be thrown off the roof next.

All of a sudden, he felt cool metal against the back of his neck.

"You. Get up."

_Aw, hell no._

"Is there something you wanted?" he asked cheekily. "'Cause I'm quite comfortable here."

The only response he received was to have the butt of the gun pressed harder against him.

"If you insist," he muttered. He stood up slowly.

"Move it," the man said gruffly.

He did as he was told, watching Max and Lydecker out of the corner of his eye. They were both searching for the next hostage to be taken. He ducked his head and turned his face away just as he felt someone's gaze fall upon him.

"Let's take a walk," the man ordered, moving the gun from his neck to the small of his back. He obliged without hesitation, realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to get away from the whole situation. Once he was on the rooftop, he could kick all their asses, go home, and call it a night.

_Max_, his brain reminded him. He paused for a second, and then continued on.

Max was an X5. She was smart. She would find her own way out of there. They were trained for this type of situation. And Alec really wasn't suicidal. Max had a chance, because Lydecker didn't recognize her. He, however, couldn't afford to stick around and risk being caught.

"Move faster."

Oh, this guy had it coming.

* * *

Max craned her head trying to catch sight of the next hostage to be taken away, her eyes finally landing on a man wearing a ridiculous hat being led by one of Darius' henchmen. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't put her finger on what. He had turned his face away at the last moment.

Now that she knew what exactly was going to happen to the hostage, she felt a weird urge to go and save him.

_This is all Logan's fault. A couple months ago I wouldn't have gave a damn but after all of his "we have to protect the downtrodden" speeches I'm running around like everyone's personal superwoman. I don't know whether to thank the guy or throttle him. _

She sighed inwardly. She had already let Tanaka die. She might as well try to save this unfortunate idiot.

"Hey!" she yelled. She ignored Lydecker's quizzical look. "HEY!" she yelled louder.

"What do you want?" Darius asked irritably.

"I gotta use the ladies' room," she answered him.

"Too damn bad. You're staying here."

"Come on. Do you really want me to piss on the floor with all these nice people watching?" She waved a hand at one of his men. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll take your friend here with me."

Darius thought about it, and then gave in, evidently believing that this small woman couldn't be a threat. "Don't take too long," he warned. The man moved forward, gave her an appraising look, and leered suggestively at her. He grabbed her arm, which she wrenched away immediately.

"I'm capable of walking myself, thank you very much," she said coolly. They exited the conference room.

"There's a bathroom over there. Make it quick."

She whirled around to face him. "You know, I don't think I have to go anymore." She made a fist and punched him in the face, and then followed it up with a roundhouse kick to the stomach and a swift karate chop to the back of his neck. He tumbled to the ground in a heap, unconscious, and she dragged him over to a nearby utility closet and threw him inside. She then ran to the set of elevators in the lobby and pushed the button. Nothing moved.

"Out of order. Naturally," she grumbled. She made her way over to the stairs and looked up. There had to be at least 20 flights.

_This guy better be pretty damn grateful. _

* * *

"Don't you hate being ordered around by that guy all day?" Alec asked. The two guys accompanying him didn't say anything. "Well, aren't you two chatty?"

They brought him to the edge of the rooftop.

"Have a nice flight," one of them said, grinning widely at him. He moved his arm to throw him off and blinked when he realized that no one was standing in front of him. "What the –"

"Sorry, I left my passport at home," Alec quipped, before he landed a quick uppercut to the man's jaw. He then dropped to the floor and swept his feet out from under him. It all happened so rapidly that the other man barely had time to blink before he realized what was happening, and by then Alec had already finished with his partner. He stupidly tried to throw a punch, which Alec caught easily, and returned. He then flipped over the man's head, landing behind him, and wrapped his arms around his neck, cutting off his air supply. The man crumpled in his arms a moment later, and Alec dropped him to the ground unceremoniously.

A loud click resounded in the air and Alec found a gun pointed right at him. He berated himself for not thinking about the men already up there keeping an eye on the situation below. It seemed that the noise from the fight had alerted them and brought them running.

The guy holding the gun was tall and lanky, and he bore an expression of fear on his face.

_This guy's just a kid_, Alec realized. No more than 16, he probably joined the movement out of rebellion or desperation.

"How did – how did you do that?" the kid asked, his voice shaking. Two other men stood beside him, older and burlier than their partner.

"Just shoot him Jesse," one of them instructed. He acted tough, but he eyed Alec warily as well.

_I don't have time for this_.

He blurred forward, heading for the older men and knocking their heads together. He was about to take out the kid when a voice called out from across the roof.

"Hey!"

He spied Max making her way towards him, confusion growing on her face as she noticed the unconscious men at his feet. He turned away from her, hiding his face.

A shot rang out in the air, and he cursed as a sharp pain shot through his arm. He looked down and saw blood beginning to soak through his shirtsleeve. The kid dropped the gun to the floor, shocked at what he had done.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Max called. She was getting nearer. He had to get out of there before she saw his face.

Making a split-second decision, he pretended to stumble to the edge of the roof, clutching his wound as if it were more serious than it actually was. Before she could say another word, he let himself fall off the side of the building, into the awaiting alley.

He was free-falling for a couple of seconds, and then as he felt himself near the ground, his arms shot out and grabbed hold of a window ledge. Another flash of pain burst through his injured arm, and he bit down on his lip to hold his groan in. He looked down. He was close enough to the ground to be able to land without further hurting himself, so he let go and came to rest in a crouch. Knowing he had only moments before Max would be looking over the building for him, he lay down on the ground, spread-eagled. He wrinkled his nose at the putrid smell coming from the nearby dumpster.

The things he did to keep his identity a secret. He wondered if Clark Kent had these issues.

* * *

Max gazed over the roof, noting the body on the ground. Funny thing was, she didn't hear the sound of impact. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she surveyed the numerous men out for the count. The kid had run away after he had realized what he had done, and she couldn't be bothered to chase him.

Something wasn't adding up. No ordinary could take out 5 armed men unless they were specially trained, and then fall off of a 20 story building and land with no problem after being shot. He _had_ somehow managed to land – she wasn't buying for a second that he was dead. Looking into the alley below for a second time, she saw that the spot where the man had previously lain was empty and nodded to herself.

There was a new player in town. And who had just arrived in Seattle?

All the pieces of the puzzle seemed to click together.

_Alec_.

* * *

"We can't afford to wait any longer," Colonel Hawkins said. "We've been after Darius for 4 years now. He's caused us a lot of trouble. I'm not going to let him slip through our fingers."

"But sir, the hostages –"

"Are expendable," he finished. "Don't argue with me Corporal. Get our men in there, guns blazing."

The other man had a troubled look on his face, but nodded in acquiescence. He brought his radio to his lips.

"All teams go. I repeat, all teams go."

* * *

Footsteps echoed loudly as soldiers stormed into the building. Darius looked around in alarm.

"What the hell is going on? Don't tell me they're actually willing to risk all of these hostages?"

"Looks like," one of his men responded.

"Damn it." For all his talk, he didn't really want to kill all those people. He viewed their movement as a benefit to humanity; he had only wanted to save the boy from a life of being experimented on. And he didn't want to sacrifice all of his people to the damn military, who've been hunting them down like rats.

"Get Jude. We're getting out of here." The boy was brought to him. "Come with me, Jude." Soldiers burst into the room, hurriedly apprehending as many members of May 22nd as they could. He took Jude behind the screen on the stage, intending to exit through the side door.

"Going somewhere?"

Max stood in front of them, blocking his way. The boy was one person she wasn't willing to sacrifice. He reminded her slightly of herself; born with defects, experimented on, had his genes messed around with... he had been through a lot, and the one person who had taken care of him was now gone. She figured Logan could find him a safe place to stay with a nice family. That was his thing.

Darius cocked the gun straight at her face. "Get out of my way."

She pretended to think about it. "Nah. Don't think so." Her leg shot out, and she kicked the gun out of his hand, leaving him defenceless. She landed a hard punch to his abdomen and then followed it up with a blow to the head, knocking him out.

"You okay?" she asked Jude. The boy nodded, and she crouched down in front of him. "You don't have to be brave anymore."

"Dr. Tanaka?" he asked. He was a smart boy. He seemed to already know the answer.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

"I called one of my contacts. He found a nice family who've been trying to have children for years now and have been unable too. They were ecstatic when they were told about Jude. They're already decorating a room for him."

Max smiled at Logan. "You better hook me up with one of these families."

"So what exactly happened in there?"

"Ran into my own personal nightmare. Lydecker was there. Guess he was looking for answers like me." She paused. "And I think... I think there's another transgenic in town."

Logan looked up with a start. "What?"

"The second hour was up, so another hostage was taken to the roof. Figured I'd save his ass. Thing is, when I got there, all of Darius' crew was out cold. Hostage was shot and fell off the building, but he managed to land somehow. No regular chump would be able to pull off something like that."

"Something doesn't make sense. If he's from Manticore, why didn't Lydecker try to bring you back already? You said you saw him at the conference."

"That's what's bugging me. Lydecker didn't recognize me. Only reason I can think of for the X5 not telling him about me is 'cause he hasn't had confirmation that I'm his target, and since he'd be on a deep cover op, there's minimal contact with base until the objective is complete."

"This isn't good, Max. If he does figure you out, Lydecker will take you back before you can say 'Manticore'." Logan's expression was one of concern.

"Not gonna happen. I'd rather die than go back there."

"Max, you've got to be careful. If this guy's out there, you don't know where he is, or what he's going to do next."

Max thought of Alec.

"Oh, I've got an idea."

* * *

A/N: Hmm... I'm not sure if I'm completely satisfied with this chapter, but I think it makes sense. As always, feedback is always appreciated. Oh – and of course Alec had to be shot. What type of Dark Angel fic would this be without that? :P


	4. Haunted by the Past

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alec's Angel – I'm really glad you're enjoying this so far. Despite the fact that Alec wasn't in season 1, I still think it's worth watching. You get to meet some of Max's siblings, and you might like Max a bit more, because her personality was very different in the first season. They did a complete 180 on her in Season 2, which I didn't really like either.

Whatever95 – Alec is DEFINITELY magnetic.

Julia – the angst in this is for you :)

* * *

_You kissed me into ruins  
Sin on sin  
Now I've got to love your love letters written on my skin  
I can't tell the stars from the downtown lights_

_If I said I was truly over you  
My heart would say amen  
But I'd give in to the cold caress of 2 am  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
Will my heart break again?  
As I fall  
Into the waiting arms of 2 am_

_2 AM, Alexz Johnson_

Lydecker stood watching as the military started loading the members of May 22nd into the back of a large van. It had been a little over an hour since the soldiers had stormed the building, but they had been delayed in getting out of there due to the huge crowd that had assembled outside of the building. Some were worried family members of those who had been trapped inside, and others were just passerby's who were attracted by news of a death. Finally though, things were getting underway.

"Doesn't make sense," one young member was mumbling as an officer reached towards him to shove him inside the van. "No normal person can do that. I don't get how he did that."

His words reached Lydecker's ears and he quickly walked toward the young man, holding up a hand at the officer. "Colonel Don Lydecker. I need to have a word with him."

The officer immediately deferred to his superior. "Yes Sir, but we're leaving in a minute."

"That's all I need." He took the kid some feet away. "What were you saying just now?"

The kid looked at him, fear in his eyes. "This guy, up on the roof. He totally kicked the asses of some of my friends. Did it without breaking a sweat, too. But the way the guy moved... it wasn't normal, man. I could barely see him – it was like he was a freaking blur."

Lydecker felt satisfaction course through him. _494. It has to be. I knew it wouldn't be long before he surfaced. He had to come up for air sometime._

"Did you see where he went?"

The kid's eyes widened, and if possible he looked even more frightened. "I, uh, I shot him. He fell over the roof. I swear I didn't mean to do it!" He looked pleadingly at Lydecker, afraid of the consequences.

Lydecker was surprised that this inexperienced child had managed to shoot the X5, however none of the emotion showed on his face. He knew 494 was still alive – his kids were more durable than that and besides, he highly doubted that the kid had gotten a good shot at him.

The problem was, the kid was a witness to something he should never know about. Lydecker couldn't risk him blabbing to anyone about what he had seen, in case it should endanger Manticore.

"Come over here," he said, motioning to a spot that was hidden from view from the large mass of people. Seeing that it wasn't a request and hoping to avoid further repercussions for shooting the man, the boy followed him. Lydecker kept his back to him and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a gun. As they reached the site, he slipped on a silencer, and started to turn around.

"I wonder what that girl was doing there," the boy muttered. "There should've been guards. How the hell did she get up there?"

Lydecker's finger froze on the trigger. "What girl?"

"There was a girl, couple of years older than me I guess, about 19 or 20. Brunette, pretty, maybe 5'6" or so. She must have been at the conference, because she was dressed all nice. She was on the roof too."

Lydecker remembered the woman sitting next to him and the way she had seemed so familiar. He thought of her strange actions and realized that she had never come back after she had left with one of Darius' men.

"Thank you. You've been very useful." He took out the gun and shot him once in the forehead.

_Could it be possible that another one of my kids is in Seattle?_

* * *

Alec grimaced as the smell of burnt flesh filled the room and a searing pain engulfed his arm. He had immediately gone home and set himself to the painful task of removing the bullet from his arm and then sterilizing it to prevent infection. His task done, he let the blazing knife drop to the table, and let his body sink into the tattered couch. His body screamed exhaustion, but he refused to let himself go to bed. He'd have the nightmares, and see _her_ face again. He couldn't deal with the feeling of his heart being torn out every time he remembered the expression on her face when he had revealed who he was to her, the look of disgust and betrayal. At that moment he had hated who he was, hated his job, hated everything he represented.

God, he had to get out of there. Sitting in his apartment all alone was getting to him. The silence was anything but – all of his senses seemed even more hyperaware than usual. The ticking of the clock echoed in his mind, sounding exactly like the ticking of a bomb seconds before it would go off.

_NO! RACHEL! DON'T GET IN THERE! DON'T!_

Alec jumped off the couch, grabbed his keys, and slammed the door behind them. He needed a drink... or twelve.

* * *

Max leaned against a pool table near the back of Crash, watching the entrance. She smiled when she saw Alec walk in. She had figured he might come here. After a rough night kicking ass and getting shot, he was probably too wired to sleep. The fact that Crash was crawling with women and beer was also pretty enticing to him.

Her eyes followed him as he made his way over to the bar, signalled the bartender, and downed a glass in a matter of seconds. He gestured for another shot, threw it back, and motioned for them to keep on coming. Max frowned. He was acting strangely. She observed in shock as a buxom blond made her way over to him, rubbing herself against him suggestively, and he waved her away. From the short time she had known him, she had already deduced by his cocky behaviour that he was a tomcat, and it was uncharacteristic of him to turn such a willing female down.

Her frown deepened as she watched him down another shot, and another, and another...

_What the hell's going on with him?_

* * *

Someone was watching him.

To be honest, he just didn't give a damn. His instincts screamed at him to look around, figure out who it was and if he was in any danger, but he ignored them. It was probably just that blond again, trying to score with him. Tonight though, he just wasn't in the mood.

He felt the alcohol burn his throat as it went down, and felt frustrated when he felt no effect. He cursed the damn scientists that made it so hard for them to get drunk – he would have to tap out the bar's whole supply to get a mild buzz.

His eyes flickered to the clock just above the bar. It was going on 2 AM. People were starting to file out – most had work in the morning and minimum-wage or not, they needed the money.

He caught the bartender's attention. "Can we get something a little stronger here?"

The man set down a vodka tonic in front of him. He studied him carefully. "You've had quite a few in a short time. I might have to cut you off soon."

"I have a high tolerance." Seeing his uncertainty, he motioned to himself. "Do I look drunk to you?" The man sighed and walked away.

He fiddled with the glass before drinking it in one long gulp. Despite his efforts to keep them locked away, memories of his failed mission started to assault him.

"_Hi, I'm Simon Lehane. You must be Rachel."_

"_Watch your dynamics."_

"_In case you haven't noticed, I've been kind of throwing myself at you for the past week. Don't you like me?"_

"_I like you."_

_The pool's lights reflected off of the water. Rachel leaned forward, and kissed him gently on his lips. A shock went through him. Nobody had ever done that to him before. _

"_I'm not who you think I am. I was sent here... to kill your father."_

"_You... you what?"_

"_I was created by the government and trained to be a soldier. Your father knew too much about that operation, so they sent me here to monitor him. Look, listen to me. You can't get into that car. Rachel, please."_

"_Created? Soldier?" The severity of the situation seemed to dawn on her and she looked out the window. "Daddy! DADDY!"_

"_Rachel no! NO! RACHEL!"_

He set the glass down. This wasn't helping either. His eyes blinked with fatigue, but he forced them open again. Every time they closed her face greeted him, and for a second he almost wished Manticore _had_ taken him, just so that they could erase his memories. The overwhelming guilt and loss he felt was threatening to rip him apart.

He stood up, threw some bills on the table to cover his drinks, and then exited. A moment later, unbeknownst to him, Max slipped out behind him.

The man who had been sitting next to Alec at the bar pulled out a phone. "Sir? I have a confirmed sighting of X5-494. He was just at the bar Crash in sector 6." He paused. "Yes, I'm sure. He just consumed a large amount of alcohol without seeming to be affected at all, and the suspect fits the description." Another silence. "On it, Sir."

* * *

Alec walked down the darkened street, hands in pockets. A familiar sensation of being watched came over him, but he kept walking as if he hadn't noticed anything.

_Either that is one persistent blond or Manticore's on my ass. _

He neared an alley and turned into it, deciding to figure out who the person was. He then scaled the wall quickly, walked across the rooftop of the grocery store right next to it, and dropped down, intending to come up behind them.

Max stealthily moved into the alley behind him, and then came to a stop when she realized he had disappeared. She cursed inwardly, looking around trying to see where he had gone.

"Looking for someone, sweetheart?"

She whirled around. "I told you, dumbass, it's Max. Not sweetheart, honey, baby, or any other sickening pet name you can come up with." She shrugged. "Saw you at Crash. Thought I'd say hi, but you left before I could get to you."

"So you decided to stalk me?" His expression was amused, but his eyes were wary. She was the last person he had expected to run into after the conference fiasco. He wondered if it was truly a coincidence, her being at Crash at the same time.

_She can't know who I am, right? _

"I am _not_ stalking you. I do have better things to do with my time, you know?"

"I think creepily following a person in secret is defined as stalking."

She shook her finger in disagreement. "No, a stalker usually has some weird fixation for said person."

He flashed her a grin. "Well, we both know you have a fixation with my ass, so I think you just proved my point."

She glowered at him. This wasn't what she had followed him for. She had to be absolutely sure that she was right about her suspicions before she went all kung-fu on him.

"You're so annoying." She accentuated the statement with a punch to his arm, and she saw a flicker of pain go through his eyes.

_So it was him._

Before he could say a thing, she had kicked him up against the wall and put her foot up against his windpipe.

"You're Manticore."

_Damn it. So she does know._

"Look, you don't understand." He opened his mouth to explain, but she didn't need to hear anything. He was Manticore; he was the enemy, simple as that.

She punched his face, landed another blow to his stomach, and then grabbed him and threw him against a dumpster. "I'm not going back there, do you understand? I'd rather die than go back! I'm not going to let you take me!"

She punched him again, and a hot flare of annoyance burned through him. Just as she was about to kick him again, he grabbed her leg and threw her away from him.

_Enough with playing games. _

She flipped back onto her feet and dropped down into a fighting stance. He mirrored her.

"Listen to me," he said carefully. "I'm not the enemy."

"Like hell you aren't," she spat. She moved to attack him, and soon they were a blur of fists and feet. It was obvious though that Alec was quickly gaining the upper hand. Minutes later, he had her lying on the ground, his arms pinning her down. She struggled against him, but his hold was unwavering.

"Don't even try. I've got ten years on you."

She laughed bitterly. "So this is where you radio in Lydecker and take me back to become a good little soldier again, is that right?"

"You don't listen, do you? I told you that I'm not the enemy."

"You're Manticore. That makes you the enemy."

"I wasn't sent here to take you back." He halted, debating on how much to divulge to her. "I... left Manticore."

She stared at him in disbelief. That wasn't what she had expected him to say. "By left, you mean...?"

"I went rogue," he said, simply. She looked at him doubtfully. One part of her screamed that he was lying just to gain her trust, but if he wasn't... she had to respect the guy. It took a lot of guts to leave Manticore, and she knew that other than her unit, it was a rare occurrence.

All of a sudden the sound of tires burning rubber against the asphalt filled their ears. Max used her enhanced eyesight to see what was going on, her pupil contracting as it focused on the cars driving towards them. She recognized it as being the standard Manticore Hummer: black, tinted windows, and filled to the brim with dozens of soldiers dressed in camo gear, all holding shiny looking guns.

She looked accusingly at Alec, who had not let go of his grip on her. "You lied! I knew it! You _are_ trying to bring me back, you asshole!" She struggled against him.

"I'm not! I swear!"

"Well, well, well. X5-494. You've given us quite the slip." The vehicles had already reached them. One of the soldiers stepped forward.

Surprise flowed through her at his designation. _He's got to be Ben's twin. No wonder he looked so familiar. _

"Why don't you make things easier for yourself and come willingly."

"Believe me now?" Alec whispered under his breath. The soldier seemed to notice Max for the first time, still trapped under Alec's body. Despite the circumstances, Max blushed as she realized how compromising their position was.

"You've obviously been busy. I guess the Berrisford girl wasn't that special after all." Several of the soldiers snickered, and Alec's eyes filled with pure fury. He launched himself at the speaker, avoiding the stream of electricity that shot out from the taser he held. He took out two of the men in an instant, did a somersault over another one's head, and put him in a sleeper hold.

Max ground her teeth together, torn between helping him and getting away before Lydecker showed up. Once again, her aggravating urge to do the right thing made her get up and with a groan, join Alec in the fight. She knew she was risking exposure; if Alec was on the level, which he seemed to be, then they didn't know she was a transgenic too.

Well, so much for that.

She had to admit that a part of her was slightly relieved. She had been alone for so long, it was kinda nice to have someone like her around, who understood what she had gone through and knew what it felt like to be constantly on the run. Then again, of all the people it had to be, it was an arrogant, snarky, misogynistic dumbass who constantly got on her nerves. She was far from trusting him – she didn't know how he felt about the whole '09 incident, but seeing as he had also gone rogue, if he called her out on it, it would be like the pot calling the kettle black.

She did a spinning kick, catching one of the soldiers in the head. Sensing Alec's presence behind her, she did a back handspring, using his body as a surface for her flip, taking out the man right in front of him. He then grabbed her arms and supported her as she kicked out at several men in a circular motion. She dropped to the ground and between the two of them, they disposed of the rest quickly.

They stared at each other, neither breathing heavily, though Alec was rubbing his injured arm.

"Not bad, for someone who hasn't trained in ten years."

"Not bad? I could kick your ass no problem."

He smirked. "Yeah sure. That's why I had you down in no time."

"You want a rematch, Golden Boy?"

He motioned to the unconscious soldiers. "Don't think this is exactly the greatest place to do it. But I'd love to beat you again."

She rolled her eyes. He was so infuriating.

"We better get out of here," he suggested. She thought for a moment. They needed to talk, that was for sure. She couldn't bring him to her place though because Kendra would be there with Mr. Multiples, and that was just a scene she did not want to see.

"Your place."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Max, if you wanted _that_ kind of action, all you had to do was ask."

A slapping sound filled the quiet night.

* * *

Lydecker surveyed the scene before him, shaking his head in disgust at the soldiers rolling around on the floor groaning among others who had passed out.

"Would you like to tell me how you let 494 get away again?"

One man bravely stepped forward. "He had help sir. A female was also here, and she fought just as well as he did."

So there _was_ another X5 in Seattle. A female, and most likely the same woman from the conference. Judging from her exotic features, it was either Tinga, Brin, or Max. Jondy and Syl were both too fair-skinned to be her.

He was closing in on two of them. Maybe things were finally going his way.

* * *

Alec pushed the door open to his apartment and Max followed him inside, observing her surroundings. He never bothered to lock it up; if anyone wanted to try and break in, the small issue of a lock certainly wasn't going to stop them.

Max took notice of every possible exit in case she should need to get out of there in a hurry, and then turned to him.

"So, Alec huh? You pick that out for yourself? Last time I checked, Manticore was real frowny on the whole name dealio."

"When we got cleared for our solo missions, we had to take Common Verbal Usage to help us blend in. My buddy, 510, always said I was a smart aleck, and it kind of stuck." He smiled a bit wistfully. 510 was the one person in his unit that he actually did miss. He felt overwhelmed with guilt as he grasped the fact that he had turned his back on the one friend he did have.

"The guy was right. It suits you perfectly. There's only one other name that I can think of that might fit a little better."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

A mischievous smile played at her lips. "Dick."

He shuddered. "I thank God that you didn't name me then." He walked towards the kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Sure."

"So Max, you never told me your designation."

"452."

He nodded to himself. "You seemed to recognize me when we first met. Who did you think I was?"

"One of my bro's is 493. I never knew that they had cloned us."

"How do you know it wasn't the other way around?"

"Our designations come first." She smirked. "Does it bother you that you aren't the original?"

"Honey, I'm better than the original." He flipped a switch on the coffeemaker he had stolen from a store downtown, and the water started boiling.

"Why'd you go rogue?"

For an instant, Max thought she saw a flash of pain go through his eyes, but a blink later it was gone. His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Manticore isn't exactly Fun Town U.S.A. Do you really need any more reason than that?"

She nodded in concurrence, but she sensed it was something deeper than that. "Still, takes a lot of balls to bust out of there."

His lips tugged upwards. "You certainly love to focus on a certain region of my anatomy." She rolled her eyes, but still waited expectantly for an answer. He decided to keep it as vague as possible. "I didn't escape from the base – I was already on the outside. I had a mission, it went sideways, and I knew the consequences if they took me back. I've spent enough time in Psy Ops thanks to you and your unit escaping, and I'm not exactly eager to repeat the experience."

She could see that he was omitting something, but she decided not to press any further. After all, she had secrets she didn't want him to know either. She remembered the words the soldier had said.

"_I guess the Berrisford girl wasn't that special after all."_

Berrisford. She tucked the name away in her mind for future reference.

"Lydecker will know now that there are two of us in Seattle. We should go to ground. It isn't safe here."

She looked at him in surprise. She should've seen this coming – in Zack's words, it wasn't "tactically advantageous" to stay in the city when their position was compromised. And Alec had just gotten out of Manticore, so it made sense that he still instinctually followed his training without thinking for himself. The truth was though; she enjoyed her strange little life in Seattle. She had finally made real friends, had a crappy but paying job, and somehow, despite her being different, she fit in. She wasn't ready to give that all up. At the same time, as annoying as he was, she didn't want to give up the only person who had shared the same experiences as her back at Manticore either.

"Look," she began. "I don't like you."

Alec snorted. "That was blunt."

"But –" she continued, "I really think it's worth staying here. If there's anything I've learned about being on the run, it's that you never make any connections with people; you just up and leave every time you think that Lydecker's closing in on you. I've lived liked that for almost 10 years, and you know what? That's not living, Alec. It's surviving. And what's really the point of surviving when you've got nothing to live for?"

He considered her words, acknowledging their sense. However at the same time, he really disliked the idea of Lydecker knowing where he was. And what would be the difference if he just moved on to another city and started over there? It wasn't like he had anything tying him to Seattle.

He studied the set look on her face. She wasn't going anywhere, that was for sure. He could tell from the way she had interacted with her friends at Jam Pony that she had already become too attached to her life here. And for some inexplicable reason, he didn't want to leave her behind.

"Alright," he conceded. "I'll try it your way. But if it gets my ass landed back at Manticore because of this, you better come get me."

"Oh no," she replied, grinning at him. It was the first time he had seen her smile genuinely at him. He decided that the look suited her. "You made the decision to stay all on your own, like a big boy. If you get caught, you're on your own buddy."

He put his hand to his heart in a wounded way. "Max, that hurts. I thought we were having a bonding moment."

"Bond with this," she said, smacking him upside the head.

"Do you always have to be so violent?"

"Comes with the territory."

"Well, wear a warning sign then."

"I looked around for one. Department stores are all out."

Alec's mouth dropped open in mock shock. "Was that a... joke? Coming from Max?" He looked around. "Where's Lydecker?"

She chuckled, and accepted the cup of steaming coffee he offered her.

"So where's the rest of your unit now?" Alec asked, taking a sip of his own drink. He noticed the stiffening of her posture, and waved his hands innocently. "I'm just curious. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not working for them?"

"You could be lying," she pointed out. "You're not exactly the most trustworthy guy." His eyes darkened for a moment, and she sensed that her words had angered him.

"I could have turned you in back there. I'm sure good old Deck would have forgiven me if I brought one of the 09'ers back." He understood her reservations about him, but he still disliked the fact that she was constantly trying to villainise him. Hadn't he proved already that he was telling the truth?

"Okay, fine. I don't know you – well, other than that you're an irritating, womanizing male – and you don't know me –"

"Other than that you're a bitch who hasn't had any action for a very long time," he interjected.

It took a lot of self control not to smack him. "But we're stuck together, so we might as well try not to kill each other."

"I can deal with that."

She set her mug down. "I gotta jet. See you at work tomorrow." She stopped at the door, and looked over her shoulder.

"Hey Alec? I still want that rematch."

"You don't honestly think you can take me on."

Feeling oddly playful, she let her eyes look him over slowly, up and down. "Oh, I think I'm up for the challenge." She left, closing the door softly behind her.

Shaking his head bemusedly, he got ready for bed. Weirdly enough, none of his previous nightmares about Rachel plagued him that night. All that he could remember in the morning was a faceless, brown-eyed angel.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I think it was the longest one yet! As always, feedback is always appreciated.


	5. Shaking Things Up

Disclaimer: Do I own Dark Angel? Let me check. Hmmm… nope. Still don't.

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! It's always really appreciated. Sorry about the delay, but schoolwork, and medical stuff and real life has been keeping me busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alec's Angel - Aww… Radar Love? You caught the worst episode of the season? Well, okay, but if you ever decide to watch anything season 1 if you have the time, I'd watch Cold Comfort. I personally thought it was hilarious due to the subplot at Jam Pony (Original Cindy, Herbal, and Sketchy plotting against Normal=love). Thanks for reviewing!

Whatever95 – Maybe I'll bring Zack in or maybe not. That is my ambiguous answer… I'm keeping it a secret. ;)

* * *

_I'll take you home if you don't leave me at the front door (leave me at the front door)  
Your body's cold, but girl we're getting so warm  
And I was thinking of ways that I could get inside (get inside)  
Tonight you're falling in love (let me go now)  
This feelings tearing me up (here we go now)_

_Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake, uh shake it_

_Shake it, Metro Station_

"You're late, Missy Miss! So you're fired!" Normal smiled in delight at finally having found an excuse for firing one of his slacker employees. "Get your behind out of here."

Max didn't even spare him a look as she glided past him. "Your clock's three minutes fast, Normal. Check the news." She allowed herself a small smile at the crestfallen look she imagined her boss was now wearing.

"Hey boo," Original Cindy said, nodding at her friend. "Where were you last night? I thought you were gonna kick it with us at Crash?" She shook her head. "Shoulda seen Wigger. He got so smashed that –"

A loud crash caught their attention near the back room. A moment later a dazed Sketchy got to his feet, patting his head. "I'm good!"

Cindy shook her head. "Scratch that. I think he's still a little smashed."

"Had some conference thing to go to," Max explained. "Kinda turned into a long night."

"Didn't know that was your scene." Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Does this have something to do with your sugar daddy?"

"O.C., I've already told you there's nothing going on between me and Logan." She shrugged. "We're just friends."

"So you've said."

"And how are my two favourite ladies?" Max immediately recognized the voice of the newcomer and turned around, leaning against her locker. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Do you tell all your girls that? I don't think I feel so special."

He put an arm around her shoulder, which she immediately shrugged off. "Of course not. Usually I tell them they're 'a unique creature unlike any other'. So you should feel plenty special."

She rolled her eyes, and reached into her pocket to silence her pager. She didn't need to look at it – she knew it could only be Logan, probably wondering how her search for the 'lucky' hostage had gone. Or maybe he had some more Eyes Only work for her to do. The man never seemed to take a vacation day. She wondered if he would ever come to realize that no matter how many bad guys they took out, there would always be another one to take his place, so essentially his whole "save the world" mission was kind of futile. Then again, she guessed that he needed _something_ to do. She felt like laughing at the thought of Logan working a regular 9-5 job in a Kwik-E-Mart for 75 cents an hour.

"Gotta bounce. I'll see you guys later." She walked over to the dispatch desk and held her hand out. "Hey Normal? You got anything for sector 9?"

"Oh, are we _requesting_ specific sectors now? I know that boyfriend of yours lives in that nice area, and I'm not going to be paying you for cavorting with him during work hours, no sirree. So you can work sector 5." She stared at him blankly.

"Normal, I'm _offering_ to get off my ass and deliver a damn package. I think that makes me employee of the month, don't you?" She smiled sweetly as he grudgingly handed her a package, and walked out the door.

"If you're not back within the hour –"

"I'm fired," she called over her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Sing me a new one sometime."

* * *

She was almost to Logan's when she felt the familiar sensation of being watched. She kept her head down and scanned her surroundings peripherally, not noting anything out of the ordinary. Her eyes lingered on some bums in the street and a garbage man around the corner, looking for the telltale signs of a Manticore operative; they always had something to give them away. As far as she could tell, she was safe.

_Manticore operative_.

She sighed, cursing her stupidity. It had to be Alec. She kept forgetting that she wasn't alone now, that there was someone other than her who had the same abilities, and – judging by the fact that she had only just realized he was trailing her when he had probably been doing so for a while – was a lot better trained.

Not that she'd ever tell him that.

A scowl formed on her face and she stopped in her tracks.

"Now who's stalking who?" she quipped.

Not bothering to conceal himself any further, Alec stepped out from the shadows, seeming to materialize out of thin air.

"What do you want?"

A frown graced his perfect features. "You'd think after being out here for 10 years you'd learn some people skills, huh Maxie? Would a simple hello kill you?"

She bristled, the nickname reminding her of the siblings she had so far failed to find. "Don't call me that." She stalked off, leaving him behind her in a pointed attempt to clue him in on the fact that she didn't want him there.

She wasn't really surprised when he was walking alongside her an instant later, keeping up easily.

"So where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"If somehow Manticore catches up to you and I have to save your ass, it kind of is my business," he answered. She laughed at that.

"Like you said, I'm the one who's been out all these years. If anyone's gonna get captured, it's you."

They reached Fogle Towers, and Max pulled open the door and stepped inside, nodding a greeting to the security guard. He returned the gesture, which didn't go unnoticed by Alec.

She must have been coming there often to be so familiar with the staff of the building. He took in its fancy décor; it was like the Pulse never touched this part of the city. He followed Max into the elevator, and seeing as he wasn't going to leave her alone, she didn't bother stopping him.

"So… Logan lives here, huh? I can see why you like him, the guy's gotta be loaded."

"Stop being a dumbass. He's my friend."

"How did you meet him? Transgenic on the run and a richer-than-God ordinary don't exactly run in the same circles. Manticore would be so proud you're hanging out with all the best people." He sniffed and ran a finger down his face in imitation of a tear. She ignored his antics.

"He had this statue of Bast that I wanted. So I broke in, but he caught me when I was making my getaway."

"And he didn't call the cops on you?" he asked incredulously. "Man, I wish everyone was like this guy. I can't decide if he's crazy or stupid." He received a smack on the arm for that.

"He knew what I was. He –" Alec grabbed her arm, suddenly very serious.

"He knows what you are? Where you're from?" His gaze was very intense, and she could see the slight panic in his eyes. "Are you crazy? We have to get out of here."

"Logan's not like that," she protested. "He's one of the good guys. He's not going to tell anyone."

"Oh right, like I've never heard that one before," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious Alec. He would never do that." Her steadfast belief in this made him calm down a bit, but he still looked wary.

The door slid open and they stepped out, Max walking with purposeful steps further into the penthouse.

"Logan?"

"Hey." Logan wheeled out to meet her, stopping when he saw the man that trailed her. He knew instantly that it had to be another transgenic, if his looks were any indication. He could also tell by the swift way he moved, his body tensed for action, ready to strike out at a moment's notice. He made no sound, reminding Logan exactly of the way Max would often pop up without him noticing.

"This is… uh…" She wouldn't call him a _friend_ exactly. More like a pain in her ass. "This is Alec."

Logan paused, momentarily confused. Max had said that she had thought another transgenic was in town. Obviously, she had been right. What he couldn't get was why he was with her, if he was working for Manticore. Unless he was one of her long-lost brothers?

"And you were bugging me about people skills?" she asked the man, snorting. "I think this is the longest you've gone without saying anything. You know what? I like you better this way."

Logan felt very uncomfortable as the man looked him over, assessing him as a threat. Evidently deciding that he was harmless for the time being, his body relaxed a bit and he shot her a suggestive look. "I'm a little tense, okay? Forgive me for being stressed out in meeting the one person who can screw us over whenever he wants." He nudged her side. "If you wanted to loosen me up though, Maxie, I wouldn't mind."

"Dream on."

Logan's lips pursed. Definitely not a brother.

"How did it go last night, Max?" he asked, curiously observing the interaction between the two. If he wasn't her brother, then why was she hanging out with the enemy?

"Met up with Alec, and then of course Manticore had to show up because my day wouldn't be complete without being ruined in some form by them. We kicked ass and called it a night."

"And…?" he asked pointedly, his eyes flickering to Alec.

"He's gone rogue, same as me."

"Just like that?" Logan asked in disbelief. Alec could feel the man's suspicion rolling off him in waves, and almost laughed at the irony of it all. Here they were, with an ordinary who knew everything about them, and he was worried that _Alec_ was going to betray Max.

"I kind of screwed up one of my jobs," he said, offering the same vague explanation as he did Max. "Manticore doesn't take too kindly on mistakes." He grinned. "I figure a couple more of us and we can start a rock band. We can call it 'Renegade'. Whaddaya think, Maxie?"

"I think you're stupid. And I told you it's –" Her hand shot to her head and she grimaced in pain. "It's Max," she finished.

"You okay?" Logan asked worriedly.

"Yeah," she grit out, glaring at Alec. "Headache. Probably cause of you and all your asinine comments. My brain can't take all of your stupidity."

"Right, right, cause everything's my fault," he muttered.

"Well it is. If Lydecker hadn't been searching for you, they would never know about me being in Seattle."

"And if I wasn't here, then you'd be all alone. Come on Max, admit it. You'd miss me."

"As much as I'd miss Normal," she shot back.

"Ouch, come on, you know that's not true. You'd miss my ass at least; you mention it at least twenty times a day."

"Only because of how much I'd like to kick it."

Logan watched the two transgenics arguing back and forth, apparently forgotten. He was a little surprised at seeing Max this way; she always seemed to keep her cool, but with this guy, she was a totally different person. He could see from Alec's face that he was just aggravating her for fun, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable around the two of them. They seemed to be lost in their own world, and it irked him slightly that the other man had managed to integrate himself in her life so easily after knowing her for such a short time. It had taken him months for Max to loosen up around him.

He cleared his throat and Max broke off whatever retort had been about to slip off her tongue, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry Logan," she apologized.

"No problem," he replied.

"Well, I gotta get back to work or else Normal's gonna get on my case again. You got anything for me? No damsel in distress to save or something?"

Again his gaze flickered to Alec, not necessarily wanting to reveal his identity as Eyes Only to the other man. It was too late though; he was already scrutinizing Logan with a new intensity, interest raised with the strange comment. His eyes narrowed as they fixated on his face, and then the look was gone.

"Well, well. I didn't know we were in the presence of the great Eyes Only. How did you come up with that name, anyways? You do know that the eyes are the most distinguishable feature, right? If you wanted to go for anonymity and all that, you might want to try a different body part. You could go for Ears Only." He snickered. "Or how about Knees Only? Good luck at anyone trying to figure that one out."

Max cuffed him on the back of the head. "We gotta go. See ya later, Logan."

"Uh, Max? Before you go, I was thinking, do you want to come over for dinner later? I could whip up a poulet chez Cale."

She smiled at him, never one to turn down good food. "Sure Logan, sounds good." Alec looked from her to Logan, and then back again.

"Oh yeah, Logie, I love chicken," he added. She glared at him.

"You're not coming," she informed him.

"Why not? Are you going to deprive a starving transgenic of food? That's cruel, Max."

Logan shook his head and wheeled over to his desk, working until he heard the squabbling voices fade away.

* * *

Max's headache intensified during the rest of her day, making her feel horribly nauseous and increasingly crabby. She had snapped at Original Cindy so much that her friend had finally walked off and left her until she cooled off, and she had almost taken Sketchy's head off at some ridiculous comment he had made. Normal was smart enough to stay out of her way. She couldn't figure out what was wrong until her hand started jerking uncontrollably, and she recognized the warning signs of a seizure. The moment work was over she rushed out the doors and blurred all the way back to her apartment. She barely made it inside before her body shook violently, her legs falling out from under her. Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she forced herself off the floor and stumbled to the bathroom, frantically looking for her bottle of Tryptophan. Her panic increased when she found the bottle completely empty. She _never_ forgot to restock her supply. Someone had deliberately thrown it out.

A cry of pain forced its way out of her mouth when another spasm rocked through her body and she knocked her head on the wall. Shaking, she slid down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees in an attempt to keep herself together. Her breath came in short gasps, and her horror grew when she heard the front door slam and Kendra call her name out.

Keeping as silent as she could, she closed the bathroom door and prayed Kendra wouldn't find her like this.

* * *

Max had been acting strangely ever since they returned to work, and from the way she practically ran out of there afterwards, Alec figured that something had to be wrong. After some prodding of Original Cindy, he found out where she lived and blurred over to her apartment.

He didn't really know why he cared so much. Max probably wouldn't give a damn if something was wrong with him, and had made it abundantly clear that she preferred his absence, but still, he felt he should at least see if she was okay. He didn't know what it was about the fiery brunette that made him feel that way, and honestly, he didn't want to know. After the episode with Rachel, he didn't really want to go analyzing his feelings. He thought he finally understood why Manticore had always stressed that they were a liability; they brought nothing but trouble and pain.

He rapped quickly on the door, steeling himself for the inevitable chewing out he was going to get from the other X5. Surprisingly, it wasn't her who opened the door, but a blonde who lost no time in looking him over.

"Hi, is Max in?" he asked charmingly. The blonde smiled flirtatiously and motioned for him to come inside.

"I'm Kendra," she said. "And you are…?"

"Alec," he supplied. His enhanced hearing picked up a faint sound, and he listened more closely. It sounded like a whimper.

"So Alec, can I get you anything? Drink? I'm not staying long because I have to be somewhere, but –"

Another whimper, louder this time, but not quite loud enough for Kendra to hear her. He moved quickly down the hall, opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. His eyes widened in shock as he saw her shaking form on the floor, sweat beading on her forehead. Her head hit the floor hard and she let out a gasp of pain.

"What's going on?" Kendra asked, finally hearing the sound. "Max?" Her feet padded towards the bathroom and Alec quickly popped his head out.

"You know Max," he said, grinning at her. "Likes it a little rough." Kendra's mouth formed a little "o" of understanding, and she smirked back at him.

"I'll get going then," she said. "Bye Max!"

The moment she was gone, Alec rushed back to the bathroom. Her shaking had intensified, and her eyes had the glazed look of someone who wasn't totally there. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her face from the impact with the hard floor. Alec had never seen her look so helpless before, and it scared him. He had seen other transgenics have seizures before, but not in a long time, and never this bad.

The soldier in him kicked in and he moved forward to cradle her body and prevent her from doing any further damage to himself. A whisper reached his ears.

"I'm f-f-fine," she stuttered.

"Oh right, because shaking all over the place is normal." He ignored her feeble protests and scooped her up into his arms, fighting to keep his hold on her as her body jerked wildly. He went into her room and deposited her as gently as he could on the bed. Once done, he stood awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do next.

"What do you do when this happens?"

"Try-trytoph-phan g-gone," she murmured. "S-someo-one t-t-took it. M-milk…"

He blurred out of the room and came back with a glass of milk. He helped her hold it to her lips and sip as much as she could before she sank back down into her bed, moaning. He set the glass aside and left the room once more. Max watched him go and heard a door close a second later. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she felt a bit hurt that he had just decided to leave once the main care was given. She had almost thought – she was wrong. He didn't care. She closed her eyes, wincing as her body twitched this way and that, hating the vulnerability she had let him see.

A cool cloth touched her fevered forehead, and she looked up in surprise to see Alec standing over her, a little bowl of cold water at his side. He had a focused look on his face as he wiped her face gently, pushing her sweaty hair out of the way. He had another glass of milk ready in his hands and he helped her sit up again to drink, wiping the excess that had dribbled down her chin. She felt strange having him take care of her like that; they weren't friends exactly, but here he was by her side despite all the bitching she did at him. For once he didn't make any smartass comments, instead passing the wet cloth over her forehead again and again.

"They always this bad?" he asked quietly.

"M-most of the t-time," she answered.

Alec didn't know what to say to that. He kept wiping her forehead, thinking. He wasn't used to this, wasn't use to having to care for another person in this way. Whenever anyone had been wounded on the field, they were taken care of quick and efficiently, as they were trained to do. There was no thinking about it, no feeling. He had never had to comfort anyone before, and it made him feel slightly awkward. Finally, he patted her shoulder in what he hoped was a soothing gesture.

"It'll… it'll be alright Max. We'll ride it out." She didn't miss the plural, and a small smile came unbidden onto her face.

"You w-won't leave?" She saw that he was a bit startled by the question, probably because she had always requested his absence previously.

"I'm gonna stay right here." And he realized as he said the words that he truly meant them. As strange and undefined as their relationship was, he wanted to be there for her. He didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but he saw her relax at the words. Her trembling had started to subside a bit, but her clothes were completely soaked through with sweat.

"You're going to have to change, you know," he said. "You're going to get cold." He opened a couple of her drawers and pulled out some clothes. "Shirt off." She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I d-don't t-t-think so."

He tossed the clothes on her bed. "Contrary to popular opinion Maxie, I like my women to be, you know, not seizing all over when I'm with them. But if you think you can get changed yourself, be my guest." He waited for her as she made her decision, finally hanging her head when she knew he was right. He sat on the edge of her bed and gripped the bottom of her shirt.

"Better not o-ogle me, Pr-retty b-boy."

"You're always calling me Pretty Boy, Maxie. Face it – if you won't admit it, at least your subconscious thinks I'm attractive." He whipped off her top, and as promised, helped her get on the other one without looking her over… too much. Their hands touched at the hem of her new shirt, and for a moment neither moved. They stared at each other until finally Max reddened slightly and she looked away. His hand still rested on her hip and she had to stifle a gasp as it brushed her skin softly when he pulled it away. She didn't say a word, not knowing what exactly had transpired between them.

He grabbed her pants, helped her take the old ones off, and pulled the new ones on. Try as he might, he couldn't avert his eyes completely, and he found himself admiring her smooth, toned legs with appreciation. He confessed to himself that even among Manticore standards, she was beautiful. Rachel had been pretty too, in a different way. Her face had been the epitome of innocence, and he supposed that was part of what had drawn him to her; all his life he had been surrounded by people like himself, killers, hunters, and it had fascinated him that she could look at the world like it was such a great place.

Max noticed his silence and that drawn look that she had seen the other day when he had been in Crash drinking. She wondered what exactly happened to him on that mission.

"_I guess the Berrisford girl wasn't that special after all."_

That comment kept coming back to her again and again. It was obvious that Alec had somehow been involved with the girl, and the way that the soldier had said it made it seem as if they were romantically entangled. She didn't know why but that thought made something twist in her stomach.

She lay back against the pillows and Alec threw the covers over her. Her eyelids were starting to flutter closed with the heavy pull of sleep.

"Go to sleep Max," he told her. He stretched out beside her on top of the covers. "I'm right here."

She yawned. "B-better not try t-to cop a feel w-when I'm sl-sleeping."

He grinned at her. "Well, you'll be sleeping, so you'll never know." She gave a half-hearted attempt at smacking him, rolling her eyes as usual. She closed them, but forced them open again.

"Alec?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." She stared at him straight in the eyes, letting him see the trust that lay there. He hesitated, and then brushed a tendril of hair off her cheek, letting his fingers linger on the soft skin.

"Always Maxie."

* * *

Logan looked at the clock again, and then sighing, blew out the candles he had set up on the table. The chicken he had baked had long since gone cold, and the mashed potatoes were congealing on the counter. It wasn't like Max to not show up without calling, so he was a bit worried, but he figured that now with Alec around she was a little preoccupied.

He wouldn't lie. He was disappointed that she didn't come. He had thought that there was… _something_ between them. She seemed to enjoy his presence well enough, and they were pretty comfortable around each other. Now that the other transgenic was here now though, things felt different. And who was he kidding? He knew he could never measure up to the other man. He'd be able to relate to things Max had gone through that Logan could never understand.

He put the cold food away and sat down at his desk. He might as well do some Eyes Only work.

It was the only thing that seemed constant in his life anyway.

* * *

A/N: Once again, sorry for the late update. I hope you liked this one! Reviews=love.


	6. Hiding Secrets

A/N: So, for the first time ever, I actually did an outline, and now that I know roughly what I want with each chapter, I'm so excited to write it! Hope you like this one! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

* * *

_You got broken once before  
Closed your heart up  
And said no more  
We were trying not to fall  
Afraid of letting go  
Wait until we know now_

_You and I go deeper  
Down below where no one sees it  
When you close your eyes  
And just believe it  
You and I go deeper  
Where everything's unspoken  
And the world seems so wide open  
To me now_

_Deeper – Alexz Johnson_

Sunlight filtered into the room, casting a bright light over everything. Max's eyelids fluttered, opening slowly at the feeling of the warmth on her skin. It took her a moment to remember what had happened the night before, and she stretched languorously, testing her strength. Her body felt back to normal, healed after a rare night's sleep. Her gaze flickered to the man lying next to her, and her forehead creased when she noted the tense look on his face, even in slumber. By the way he was fidgeting, she figured he was having a nightmare. He was mumbling something, and she strained to catch the words falling from his lips.

"Don't… car. Don't, please. Not safe. Don't… Sorry. So sorry."

She gingerly reached out an arm and jostled him a bit, in an effort to wake him up. Failing at getting a reaction out of him, she pushed a little harder and his arm shot out, grabbing her own. His eyes flew open, a wild look in them. His breathing was labored, and for a second he didn't seem to recognize where he was. Then noting the shocked look on her face, he released her and gave her an apologetic look.

"Bad dream?" she asked.

"Something like that," he muttered. He grinned. "Though I did have a lovely one involving you earlier, Maxie."

She swatted him, and he held up his hands to defend himself. "I see we're back to violent Max. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted."

She swatted him again but this time he moved out of the way, putting her off balance. She fell onto the floor with a thud and he started laughing. Scowling, she tugged the comforter and with a yelp he tumbled to the floor as well.

Right on top of her.

Well, that hadn't been part of the plan. She found herself staring straight into his hazel eyes, getting lost in them. Alec stared right back. Their faces were so close that Max could feel his warm breath tickle her cheek. Someone cleared their throat and Max craned her neck to see who was at the door.

"Looks like I'm interrupting."

Max groaned. Why did Kendra have to walk in at that precise moment? It was as if the fates were plotting against her. She shoved Alec off of her.

"No, you're not. Alec just crashed here 'cause he was tired. Nothing happened," she insisted. The dubious look on her roommate's face made it clear that she didn't believe her. Max sighed and dropped the subject. She knew from experience that if she protested any more it would just reinforce Kendra's belief that she was trying to cover up.

Someone knocked at the front door and Kendra left to get it, returning an instant later with Original Cindy. Whatever she had been about to say died on her lips when she saw Alec. She looked between him and Max, a smirk beginning to form.

"Well, aiight boo. Bout time you got some. Darren was a shmuck, and Eric… that poor boy just didn't know what to do with himself."

"O.C., we're not like that."

"Seem to be your favourite words, girl."

Max growled in frustration, but bit back her words, remembering how harsh she had been to her friend the day before. "About yesterday –" she began.

"Yeah, that wasn't cool, Max," Original Cindy interrupted. "But you have a problem, and we're going to help you through it."

Max's brow furrowed in confusion. "Problem?"

"Look, Kendra and I know you've been taking that candy for a while. All the mood swings, treating your friends like crap, the violence… you're only hurting yourself girl."

"O.C.," she said slowly, working to keep the irritation out of her voice. "Did you throw out my pills?"

"We did what we thought was best for you. That's what friends do. We help each other, even when you can't see that."

Max breathed in and out, trying to remain calm. It wasn't her friends' fault. She had never told them about her seizures, mostly because it would draw more attention to herself. She knew that they noticed some of the strange things about her when she slipped up, like her unexplainable strength, or the way she always disappeared so often. They chose to overlook it, chalking it up to her just being "Max". And she appreciated that they didn't question anything. But if she revealed her seizures now, it would make Kendra and Original Cindy wonder what other things she was hiding from them. She couldn't have them paying more attention to what was going on in her life; it was too dangerous, for both herself and her friends.

She looked to Alec pleadingly for help, but he just shrugged. She could either go along with the drug theory and just hide her pills somewhere else next time, or come clean. She really hated lying to them though. It was bad enough that she had to keep her past and a whole other side of her a secret.

"Guys, I don't have a drug problem."

"We know you think that, sweetie, but –"

She cut Kendra off. "No, really. Look, those pills… I take them because I have a neurological condition."

"A neuro-what?" O.C. said.

"I get seizures. My brain doesn't make enough of this chemical called serotonin, which is responsible for communication between the nerve cells. The pills, tryptophan, help take the edge off," she explained. Seeing traces of doubt on their faces, she added, "Come on, guys. Do I look like a druggie? I know I was a bitch to you –"

"But that's just her normal anger issues," Alec put in. "Nothing personal." Max glared and he raised his shoulders in a shrug.

"Not helping," she hissed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kendra asked.

Max looked away. "Didn't want to worry you. I can handle them with my pills. Last night just got a little rough."

"We're your friends, Max." Kendra stepped closer and wrapped her arms around her roommate. "You gotta tell us this kind of stuff."

"Yeah, boo. Us sistas gotta stick together." O.C. joined the embrace. Max's heart swelled at her friends' heartfelt comments. _This_ was what she had left Manticore for. For a life with people who truly cared about her without judging. Suddenly, she knit her eyebrows together in bewilderment when she felt a hand on her thigh. Tracing the offending limb to its owner, she saw that Alec had somehow managed to tangle himself between the three women.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Alec extricated himself, chuckling. "Everybody was joining in on the group hug. I felt kind of left out."

This time is was Original Cindy who smacked him. He rubbed his head, looking affronted. "Does _everyone_ have to abuse me? I'm like a walking punching bag."

"Well, what other use do you have?" Max asked. He gave her a suggestive look.

"I could always show you Maxie. I'm a man of many talents."

She tilted her head, considering. "Well, I guess you do have some. God knows you have to put in effort to make everything that comes out of your mouth sound idiotic. Unless that comes naturally?"

"I have other things I can do with my mouth," he said crudely. Original Cindy and Kendra watched the two sparring verbally back and forth and shared a knowing look.

"Aiight, stop flirting, cause we gotta get to work." Cindy smiled satisfactorily when the two gave her equal expressions of horror at her comment.

"We were not –"

"Whatever, boo."

They walked out of the apartment and into the rare sunny day. Someone caught Original Cindy's eye, and she walked ahead of the other two.

"That's my girl, Chrissette." A wide smile formed on her face. "I'll catch you guys at work." She walked towards the other woman and they soon disappeared.

Then it was just two of them. For once, they were both silent, all the banter having vanished. It was a comfortable silence, and Max thought about what had happened the night before. He had been so gentle with her. It was a side of him she had never seen before, and had to admit she liked. She realized that she didn't really know much about him, other than the fact that they had both come from Manticore and that he had botched his mission. She decided to rectify the situation.

"How was it there?" She hesitated. She had no idea if he'd be open to talking about this. "In Manticore. After we… left."

He said nothing, and she thought that he wasn't going to answer. Then he said, "They really tightened security. Made training harder. And we had to go through a reconditioning – they thought that the X5s had been made with too much independence, so they really drilled into our heads that escaping was traitorous and any thoughts of running away would be met with severe consequences. It was worse for those of us who were clones. We spent months in Psy Ops so that they could be sure we wouldn't have the same tendency to desert Manticore." He laughed, but all the humour was gone from it. "Guess they were wrong about me."

She looked away from him, feeling shame course through her body at hearing all the suffering they went through because of her. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "We didn't really think about what would happen to you guys when we left. We didn't even fully plan our escape. We knew we were going to do it, but it was when Lydecker killed Eva right in front of us that we knew we had to get out of there. So we crashed through the window and started running. Haven't stopped since."

"You guys were right to leave. Manticore was just using us. We killed innocent people just because we were told to." There it was again. That look of regret and guilt on his face. She thought about asking him about his mission again. Surprisingly, he had answered her previous question readily. Maybe he would answer this one as well.

"So… what exactly happened on your mission?" she asked hesitantly. She saw him immediately shut down and his Manticore mask slide firmly into place.

"I don't want to talk about that."

Still, she persisted. "Lydecker's soldier said something about Berrisford –"

"Forget what he said!" Alec's eyes were aflame with anger. "I said that I don't want to talk about it, so can't you just leave it alone? God Max, do you have to get into everyone's business?"

She started to get irritated as well. "I'm just trying to help. It's obvious that something's bothering you, and since you helped me last night, I thought I could –"

"You could what? Fix me?" he said harshly. "Well, here's news for you Max. You can't just _fix_ everything. You can't make all the bad things go away with some nice words and 'I'm sorry'. You can't bring her back." Something inside him seemed to break down, and his anger deflated, leaving a shadow of a man in Alec's place. "Please just leave me alone."

"Alec –"

He blurred away before her arm could reach him, and she let it fall to her side, shaking her head. She should never have pushed him. He was right; it was his business and if he didn't want to tell her, then she should have let it go. She just hated seeing him so uncharacteristically depressed. As annoying as he was when he was his usual cocky self, she preferred it to this broken version of him. For a moment she entertained the idea of getting Logan to do her a favour and seeing what he could dig up on Berrisford, but she scolded herself and pushed it away. Alec would tell her in his own time or not at all. She had to respect that.

She shielded her eyes and looked up at the sun. Its warmth should have felt good on her skin, but her day was already off to a bad start. She exhaled slowly and then started to walk again.

* * *

Logan pushed his breakfast aside when the phone started to ring. He wheeled over to it, swallowed his last bite of eggs, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

A man's voice greeted him on the other end, nervous and worried. "Is this – I don't know what I'm doing. I can't find her. I need help."

Logan tried to make sense of the jumbled words. "Hold on. Slow down, and tell me what's wrong."

"Is this Eyes Only? I got this number from a friend of mine who said he could help."

"This is one of his operatives. Tell me your name."

The man answered.

"Alright. Now, tell me your problem. I promise Eyes Only will do everything he can to help you." Logan reached for a pen and not being able to find paper, scribbled the information on the back of a receipt. "Don't worry. I'll get someone on this case right away," he promised. After a few more exchanges, he hung up the phone, and then immediately got onto his computer.

* * *

"Alec, my man. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Sketch."

Sketchy nudged his shoulder and handed him a beer, which he accepted gratefully. "Then what's with you? You've been quiet all day, and avoiding Max like the plague." He chortled a bit. "I get that she's scary sometimes, but she really comes through when you need help. A couple of weeks ago I got into some pretty bad trouble with some gangsters. Owed them a ton of money but Max bailed me out. Of course, she threatened bodily harm if I did it again."

"This has nothing to do with Max," Alec replied. "Women. I'm done with them. They cause nothing but trouble."

"You really got hurt, huh?"

Alec looked at Sketchy incredulously. The other man looked at his shoes. "Look, I know everyone thinks I'm an idiot. And, well they're probably right. I am an idiot. But I'm not blind, man. I'm sure whatever happened with you was pretty bad, but sometimes you just need to let things go. That's the only way you'll get on with your life. If I let every stupid thing that I did get me down, then I'd be pretty messed up."

"Sketchy!" Herbal called. "Will you do an act of the Most High? I need to get home. This Winston – he keeps making eyes at my woman, and I can't take it anymore. I'm booting him out."

"All right, man! Go get your shortie. I got your packages." Herbal tossed the parcel and Sketchy fumbled to catch it, tripping over his own feet in the process. Alec watched him, unable to believe that this was the man who had just given him some solid advice.

"Hey! Why are you miscreants throwing the packages around! If you damage them, it comes out of your pay!" Normal yelled. "Scum of the city. That's what I've got as workers."

"Hi."

Max walked up beside him, for once not looking self-assured. He nodded a greeting.

"I just wanted to say…" She bit her lip. "You were right. I shouldn't have pushed. I'm…" She struggled to get the last word out. She hated apologizing.

"You're what?" He worked at keeping his voice stern, but he knew that he had already forgiven her. There was something about her that left him incapable of staying mad at her for long.

"I'm sorry," she said grudgingly.

"I couldn't hear that," he said teasingly. "A little louder?"

She glowered at him. "Too damn bad. I already said it once. If your enhanced hearing couldn't catch that, then you might want to get that looked at."

He slung an arm around her shoulder. "Well, you could always get dressed up as a nurse and check it out." She looked pointedly at his arm, but he didn't remove it. "Original Cindy and your roommate already think we're shacking up – might as well keep up appearances."

He found himself flat on his back a second later. He looked up to see her walking away. From his angle on the floor, his gaze went straight to her backside. He couldn't help but appreciate the view. "Does this mean we've broken up?"

"Stupid," she muttered, but there was no real menace behind the word. Her pager made its familiar buzzing sound and she looked at Alec. "It's Logan." Dread filled her when she remembered she was supposed to have had dinner with him the night before. She felt bad that she had stood him up. But then she felt even worse when she realized that despite her seizures, she didn't regret the time she had spent with Alec.

He got off the floor to stand beside her. "So let me get this straight. You help him with his Eyes Only missions and he does what for you exactly?"

"He was helping me find information on the others. I haven't seen any of them since the escape."

"And how many has he found?" She didn't answer, didn't need to. "Do you really think that risking exposure is worth it, Max? Logan seems like a nice guy, a bit dull maybe, but doesn't he realize the danger he's putting you in? Don't you?"

"I'll do anything to find them, Alec. They're my _family_. They're all I've got and I need them."

"You've got me now." The comment was made lightly but she didn't miss the meaning behind it. He really was going to stick around like he'd said. He wasn't going to just disappear. Because she had asked him not to.

"I know. But they're still my family. Is there anyone back at Manticore that you miss?"

He found himself thinking of 510 for the second time in a couple of days. "Yeah. Maybe one or two of my unit mates. But we weren't close like your unit was. Nobody was."

"Huh. Well, I'm gonna go see what he wants. You coming?"

She didn't really know why she offered. She didn't think that he'd be up to "risking exposure", as he'd put it. But it seemed like he seemed to be everywhere she was nowadays, and it became second nature to have him by her.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's go see what specs wants."

"Don't call him that," she chastised.

"Alright, fine. Let's go see what wheels wants."

A glare.

"Logie?"

* * *

"Sir? Director on line 1."

Lydecker picked up the phone. "Hello Renfro."

"How goes the search for the X5s, Deck?"

He grit his teeth together. "We know that 494 is somewhere in Seattle. By the looks of it, he's running with one of the '09 escapees, most probably either X5-656 or X5-452."

"That's an interesting development."

"It should make them easier to track. It's a lot harder to hide when there are two of them instead of just one. More room to slip up."

"You better be right, Deck."

"As soon as we have the two of them in sight, we're bringing them in. The Committee will be pleased."

"I have another idea. Keep your eye on them, but don't alert them to your presence. Maybe the '09er is still in contact with the rest of the escapees. She could lead us right to the rest of them."

"No. We try a hat trick with these kids, and we'll end up with nothing. They're smart."

"Those are my orders Lydecker. Do make sure you follow them."

He was met with the dial tone once again. He formed a fist and pounded his desk. Renfro didn't know what she was talking about. She thought that reading their files made her an expert on their behaviour. But he was the one who had _raised_ them, _trained_ them. He knew how they thought. He had to seize whatever opportunity he had to get them back. Waiting would get him nothing.

The bitch. She was going to ruin everything.

"Sir?" Sandoval asked, once again stepping into the room. "I've got some news."

"Inform all of our soldiers that if there is a sighting of X5-494 or his partner, that they _are not_ to bring them in," he spat. "They are to follow the X5s in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of the other escapees. Renfro's orders."

"Yes Sir. But as I said, I have some news." He motioned to two soldiers standing outside of the room to enter, holding a withered old woman between them. Upon closer inspection, Lydecker realized that it wasn't an old woman at all. She had the body of a young girl in her early twenties at the most, except her skin was thin and wrinkled, her face puffy. He checked the back of her neck. _X5-734. Brin._

He recognized her condition as Progeria, and regarded her with sadness. They had encountered this problem with a few of the other X5s; it was a genetic defect that a couple of them had. They could fix the problem, but she must have been suffering a lot to get to this advanced stage.

"She willingly contacted Manticore and turned herself in," Sandoval said.

Lydecker looked into Brin's eyes, noting that although she looked near death, her eyes were still alive and filled with self-contempt. No doubt she was angry at herself for the decision she had made, for coming straight into the arms of the enemy.

"Ice her down and begin the treatment. She'll also require a full reindocrination once she's strong enough."

The men started to lead her away, but something Brin mumbled caught his attention.

"I'll never… be one… of them," she rasped. "I came… for the cure. Then I'll…" she coughed. "I'll escape… again. You don't… own me."

Once again, he looked at her with pity. He reached out a hand and patted her wasted cheek, ignoring her flinch. No matter what anyone said, he truly did care for his kids. Not like Renfro did.

"We'll see, Brin," he said, surprising everyone with his use of her chosen name. "Welcome back."

* * *

"Hey Max," Logan greeted over his shoulder. He supposed he had one thing to thank Alec for; now he could always hear her coming, because she seemed to constantly be in the middle of an argument with him.

"Hi. Sorry I missed dinner. My body kinda decided to do the seizure dance."

Logan took the pen he had been chewing contemplatively out of his mouth. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. So what have you got?"

"I just got a call from this guy –"

"Do you ever do anything other than work?" Alec asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah," Logan answered, a bit defensively. "Of course I do."

"Like what?" Alec challenged.

Logan wrinkled his nose in thought. "I… I play chess sometimes." Alec looked at him blankly.

"I think you and Lydecker have the same idea of fun."

He smiled sheepishly. "I don't get a lot of time to just 'hang out'."

"I see that," Alec replied dryly. "You _do_ realize that there's a whole world outside this room? Do you ever go out? You know, other than to the grocery store?" His silence answered him. "Why don't you come to Crash sometime and shoot some pool?"

Logan looked surprised. "You're inviting me?"

"Sure, why not?"

"He just wants to show off his pool skills," Max said.

"Not true. I'm trying to show Logie here the finer arts of living: beer, pool, and fun. Though I _will_ kick your ass if we play."

"Um, okay," Logan answered, still a little shocked. "About this call –"

Alec groaned, admitting defeat.

"This guy said his wife's been missing for over two months now. Once night, she just didn't come home after work. He put up missing flyers all over the city, but no one's come forward with any information. I got some of my regular guys to do some investigating, but they've come up with nothing. There's absolutely no trail to follow, which leads me to think that we're dealing with a real player here. If she's been kidnapped, there should be some traces of what happened, but it's as if she disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Maybe she was abducted by aliens." They both looked at Alec. "Okay, looks like you guys can't take a joke."

"This isn't funny, Alec. This woman's got a little kid at home who's wondering where his mommy is. I thought that with your training and your enhanced senses, you could find out _something_, at least. I already told the man that you're coming, Max, so he's expecting you. Alec, I know this isn't your thing, so I didn't know if you wanted to tag along."

He shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do."

"What's her name?" Max asked.

"Penny Smith. You're going to Portland."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. I hope everyone enjoyed that. I love reviews, so please click that pretty little box down there and drop me a line (yes, I know I'm shameless).


	7. Family Matters

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Here's the next part!

Oh, and just for clarification for the last chapter, the intervention with Kendra and Cindy that happened in "Flushed" never happened, because I wanted to include it in the last chapter.

* * *

_Steve walks warily down the street,  
With the brim pulled way down low  
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet,  
Machine guns ready to go  
Are you ready, are you ready for this  
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat  
Out of the doorway the bullets rip  
To the sound of the beat_

_Another one bites the dust  
Another one bites the dust  
And another one gone, and another one gone  
Another one bites the dust  
Hey, I'm gonna get you too  
Another one bites the dust_

_Another One Bites the Dust, Queen_

"Make a left up there," Max instructed, looking up from a map she held between her hands. "It should be coming up soon."

Shortly after they had met with Logan they had gotten into a rental car and driven to Portland, Alec at the wheel. Normally Max would have insisted to be the one in charge of driving, but she didn't really care for cars. She loved riding her baby, feeling the wind whip by her face as she sped by. The raw power of the engine thrumming under her and the sensation of freedom was something she craved compared to the relative enclosed feeling she got in a car.

"So this woman just doesn't come home one day? I don't really know if that means kidnapping, Max. She might have just met some nice rich guy and decided that she didn't want to deal with the stress of a kid or something."

She shrugged. "Logan doesn't seem to think so. I kind of agree with him on the whole 'no trail' thing. People always slip up somewhere. Besides, the whole rich guy thing? How many of those do you really think are left in this sorry excuse of a country?"

He gave her a cheeky grin. "I know you've got your very own in Seattle. Maybe Logie is playing us; he's got a little mistress and is sending us on a wild goose chase to cover his tracks."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. And I can see _exactly_ why he would send two highly trained assassins here to figure out what happened to her. It makes perfect sense."

"Just a thought." He frowned, staring intently at the side mirror. "Hey Max? Does it look like that car is following us?"

"Which one?" she asked, focusing on her own mirror. She touched her face as if checking for makeup, careful not to alert their followers that they'd been made.

"The dark blue sedan," he said. He cruised through a traffic light while still watching the other car. It paused at the intersection and turned left. Max let out a sigh of relief.

"Guess not."

Alec was still tensed. "I don't know, Max. I'm pretty sure they were following us."

She looked doubtful. "If it was Manticore they would have tried to bring us in already. Lydecker's not exactly the most patient man. Plus, I only saw the one car. They would need a lot more soldiers if they were thinking of taking us on."

He nodded in agreement, but the uneasy feeling stayed with him. His gut was telling him that something wasn't quite right, and he had learned over the years to trust it. However they couldn't really do anything about it at the moment. They had to go talk to this Charlie guy. His grip tightened on the wheel. He really didn't see why Max insisted on doing what he deemed as suicide missions. It was probably out of some sense of misguided loyalty to that ordinary who – though seeming to be a genuinely nice guy – was just causing trouble. Logan hadn't found anything substantial, and they were perfect ways of exposing herself. Come to think of it, he had no idea why he had tagged along. He had no interest in the matter, other than making sure Max would stay alive. His stomach churned at the thought of her body lying on the ground, lifeless.

"Why so quiet?"

"I'm thinking," he responded.

She smirked. "Don't hurt yourself. Poor brain cells probably haven't had such a workout in a long time." She sobered up and pointed to an apartment about a block away that looked just as rundown as the ones around it. Trash littered the sidewalk and some homeless people huddled around fires lit in garbage cans. About a dozen punks were running around noisily, spray painting obscene graphics on the sides of buildings.

Alec drove up and parked on the curb, killing the engine. Noticing some of the punks eyeing the car mischievously, he walked up to them, looking as menacing as possible.

"Any one of you touches this car, and your friends won't ever see you again. Got it?"

Frightened, they all nodded and ran in the opposite direction, choosing to defile some broken benches.

When he turned back to Max she had an amused expression on her face, but chose to say nothing. They walked into the apartment and immediately took to the stairs. They reached the 7th floor and knocked at the door at the end of the hall. A young man in his late twenties answered.

"Hi, I'm Max." She gestured to Alec. "This is Alec."

"My name is Charlie. Come in," the man said, opening the door wider. "Thank you so much for coming so soon. I just… I didn't know what to do. It's been so long and –"

"Daddy! Daddy!" A small child of around four years old ran into the room, tugging on his father's pant leg. "I finished the puzzle! Come see!"

"One minute Case," Charlie said, ruffling his son's hair affectionately. "We have guests."

"Hi Case," Max said, smiling at him. She nudged Alec and he waved awkwardly. Another thing he wasn't accustomed to – being around kids. They made him nervous as hell; they were always crying, or eating or pooping. He preferred to be very, _very_ far away when the latter happened.

Case studied them quietly, with too much awareness in his eyes, Alec noticed. Finally, the boy said, "Are you here to bring Mommy back?"

At Charlie's surprised look, it was obvious to conclude that he hadn't told his son why they were coming. The boy must have figured it out on his own.

"We're going to try to, sweetie," Max said, kneeling down in front of him. "We're going to try really hard."

Alec stared at her like an alien had inhabited her body. Max, bitchy, "I'm gonna kick your ass" Max, was _maternal?_ He had never seen this side of her before, and honestly, he almost preferred the meaner version. This nice, docile, caring Max was scaring the hell out of him.

"Alec, why don't you go see Case's puzzle while I talk to Charlie?" Max suggested. He opened his mouth to protest; he didn't want to spend time with the kid. He had no idea what to do or say. But a glare from her silenced him. _This_ Max he was used to. Sighing, he padded after the kid.

Charlie sat down on the couch and Max followed him.

"Cute kid," she said.

"Thanks. He's been really good since… since Penny went missing. He always asks about her, when she's coming back and stuff like that, but he doesn't complain."

A puzzled look came across her face. "Yeah, I kind of noticed that. Isn't that a little… weird?"

Charlie shook his head. "Case has always been extremely mature, even though he's so young. He's a smart boy." He smiled wistfully. "He must get that from Penny. She always knew the strangest things." He picked up a framed photo of a very attractive young woman holding a newborn baby. "This is her."

Max took the picture. At the sight of his wife, a feeling of familiarity flared up inside her, though she was sure she had never met this woman before.

"She's very pretty," she commented.

"Penny was always very beautiful," he agreed, the soft smile still on his face. "But I think it was the mystery around her that drew me to her."

"Mystery?"

"Penny never talked much about her family. All she would tell me is that she was an orphan, and that the orphanage she grew up in wasn't a very nice place. She was the sweetest person though. And funny too. You should have heard the story she told me the first night we met." He laughed. "Penny had the wildest imagination. There's this story that she used to tell Case every night before he went to sleep."

"Do you know anyone who might want to hurt Penny? Anyone who might have taken her against her will?"

Charlie shook his head again, looking thoroughly confused. "Like I said, Penny was very sweet. I can't imagine anyone not liking her. Plus, she worked in a bakery. It's not exactly the type of place where you make any enemies. I can't believe anyone would kidnap her like this." His face became downcast, his eyes glassy. "I don't know what to do anymore. Case keeps asking me when she's coming home, and it's breaking my heart because I don't know what to tell him."

"Like I said, we're going to try our best to find her. I promise."

* * *

"Sir?"

Lydecker looked up from his desk. "Come in, Sandoval."

"Sir, we have some news. Some of our men have reported that 494 and 452 have left Seattle. They were followed into Portland to an apartment on Main Street. They seemed to be visiting a man named Charlie Smith, whose wife went missing a few months ago. There are flyers all over the city for her."

"They're in Portland? Why would they go to Portland?" Lydecker muttered to himself. A memory made its way to the front of his mind. A couple months ago, some guys had reported to the Portland police that a young woman had completely beat them up, seemingly without any effort. He remembered some of his men reporting this news to him, as he had contacts in all of the police departments to inform him of anything that seemed Manticore-related. Thinking back, he recalled that he had sent some of his men to check out the situation, but that they had returned empty-handed, saying that the witnesses were hardly credible as they had been drunk at the time. And that had been the end of that. He was hardly going to waste manpower on a weak lead when he had bigger ones to follow. Now it seemed as if he had been mistaken.

"Position our men around the place. If we have confirmation that there is another X5 in the area, bring all three of them in."

Sandoval's eyebrows came together in a confused expression. "I thought that Renfro's orders were to follow them only."

"I don't care what Renfro said. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She's going to end up with nothing if we don't move soon. Once the X5s realize what we're up to – and believe me, they will – they'll change locations. We have to get them while we know where they are."

"But –"

"My kids are slippery, Sandoval. I'll do what I think is best. Now, are you going to give the order, or do I have to find someone else who will?"

The threat was clear, and the balding man hastily stepped out from the room.

"I'll get right on it, Sir."

"Oh, and Sandoval?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"How is 734's reindocrination going?"

"As well as expected, Sir. She is putting up a fight, but in her weakened condition she's starting to give in. She'll be back in our hands in no time."

"Good. That is all."

* * *

"This is the castle the Princess lived in," Case said, pointing to the puzzle.

Alec nodded. "Uh, yeah. It's nice."

"I did it all by myself."

Alec looked doubtfully at the puzzle. It was one of those with a thousand pieces. There was no way the kid had done it himself. "Sure kid. That's great."

Case stared at him seriously, hearing the disbelief in Alec's voice. "I _did_."

"Oh, I believe you buddy." God, where was Max? He didn't see why _he_ had to get nanny duty.

"You shouldn't put your gun in your pants, you know," Case said casually, starting another puzzle. Alec's eyes almost popped out of his head. There was no way his gun was visible. Plus, what the hell did the kid know about guns?

"My mommy always said that bad guys in movies were silly for putting their guns in their pants. They might go off acciden – accidentally." He struggled with the last word, pleased when he finally pronounced it right.

"What did your mommy know about guns?" Alec asked, still unable to believe he was having this conversation with a little kid. Case didn't answer him; he only smiled secretly and continued putting his puzzle together. It was then that Alec noticed the boy was barely glancing at the pieces before sliding them into place with the others, as if he wasn't even paying attention to what he was doing. It was another one of those puzzles with a thousand pieces. There was no way any normal kid could do that.

"Uh, Max?" Alec called. A moment later she walked into the room with Charlie. All he could do was point at the puzzle.

"You finished the castle one, Case. Great job. Did Miss Forsyth help you earlier on?"

"No," Case said. "I did it."

"Who's Miss Forsyth?" Max asked.

"She's a nanny that I hired when Penny… when she went on vacation," Charlie said, casting a pointed look in Case's direction. "She takes care of him after school before I come home from work." He looked at the clock. "Case, it's bedtime. Go brush your teeth and then I'll come read you a story."

The boy ambled off and Alec pulled Max off to the side.

"The boy is weird," he whispered.

"Because he doesn't seem bothered by his mom being gone? Yeah, I noticed that too, but his dad says he's just mature. I guess that could be it."

"No Max, I mean _really_ weird. He was telling me not to put my gun in my pants because it might go off. Oh, and that puzzle over there – he _did_ do it by himself. I was watching him. I'm telling you Max, something's off."

Max didn't respond for a moment, and then she said, "Well, he's right, you know. You really shouldn't put your gun in your pants. God forbid anything should happen to your precious equipment – I'd never stop hearing about it."

Alec stared at her blankly. "Max, I'm serious."

"I know. How weird is that?" Seeing his irritated look, she stopped teasing him. "Okay, the gun comment was weird I guess. But I don't see how the puzzle is significant. So, he's a boy genius. Maybe he's like that kid at the genetics conference."

"Max, come on. That kid had his genes genetically modified. This one doesn't, unless daddy's been up to something he shouldn't be, though I seriously doubt it since he doesn't strike me as the brightest guy ever. I'm telling you, something's off with this kid."

Soft murmurings reached their ears. "Well then, let's go find out." She tugged his arm down the hall, and they peeked into Case's room.

* * *

"Sir? We have confirmation that there is another X5 present. Three of our men went missing while 494 and 452 were with the husband, though there hasn't yet been a sighting."

"It's good enough. It's got to be one of my kids. Bring in the family tonight."

"The family, Sir?"

"The mother's not going to be able to stay away from her boy. And I'm interested in him. I want to know how he turned out. If 494 and 452 have met up with her, they'll probably follow."

He hung up the phone and then grabbed his leather jacket and put it on. There was no way those bumbling idiots were going to do the job right if he wasn't there.

If anything was going to be done properly, he had to do it himself.

* * *

"What story do you want to hear tonight, Case?"

"I wanna hear mommy's story."

"The one about the Princess?"

"Uh huh."

"Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived in a faraway castle with her brothers and sisters. They all loved each other very, very much. But the castle wasn't a very nice place. There was an evil king who tried to hurt the children."

"You forgot about the Nomlies in the basement," Case muttered half asleep.

Max's blood ran cold at the word, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Alec's form go rigid.

"I don't think I know that part," Charlie said.

"You didn't tell me everybody's name."

"What was the princess' name, Case?"

Case yawned, turning over. "Tinga."

It felt like her whole body had been zapped with electricity and gone into shock. _Tinga. This is Tinga's son._ She remembered the way she had felt instinctually about the woman in the picture. It was Tinga. Her big sister Tinga.

"_Maxie?" a small voice asked. "Maxie, what's wrong?"_

"_I g-got the sh-shakes, Tinga."_

"_Don't worry Maxie, I've got ya." Warm arms encircled her trembling body and rocked her back and forth quietly. "You'll be okay."_

The puzzle pieces started to fall into place. _She's not missing, she's in hiding. Something must've happened. Maybe Lydecker was poking around._ A thought occurred to her, burning in its urgency.

"Charlie, what did you put on that Missing flyer?" she asked.

"Um… her name, her age, a picture with a description, where she works, our phone number here…"

"Did you put any distinguishable marks? Did you mention her tattoo?"

Charlie blinked. "She doesn't have a tattoo."

A small bead of relief relaxed her. She must have hidden it, or periodically lasered it off. As long as he hadn't mentioned a tattoo, then Lydecker wouldn't have any reason to think twice about Tinga. Tons of people went missing these days. She wouldn't stand out among them.

"We have to go," she said hastily, grabbing Alec. "We'll be back tomorrow." She ignored both Alec's and Charlie's questioning looks and barreled out the door.

"She's Manticore," Alec stated once they were outside. "One of your unit?"

"She's my big sister," Max said, a huge smile finally brightening her face. "I never thought… wow. I can't believe Tinga settled down and was able to have a family." Something seemed to just occur to her. "I'm an aunt!"

"That's nice Max, but don't you think we have more important things to do? Like get the hell out of here? There's got to be a reason why your sister left, and I'm betting that's Lydecker."

"We can't leave," she said automatically. "That's her family in there. We have to protect them."

Alec grunted in frustration. He never would have thought a Manticore soldier would be so clueless about self-preservation. She might as well stick a target on herself with a sign that said "Shoot me". All these years on the outside had made her soft.

"Max, they're fine. She probably left to protect _them_, so that Lydecker wouldn't link them to her. So we should just leave…" He trailed off as he noticed that she was no longer listening to him. "Max? Max!"

"Since when do hobos have nice leather shoes?" she asked in a low voice, staring at the guy in front of the building. It was a different man than the one they had seen when they had arrived.

"Manticore," he said. Alec scanned the perimeter and found several more men posted around the building, posing as garbage men and various other pedestrians walking around. His legs itched to break out into a run, and he wondered why they weren't attacking yet. "We have to go, Max."

"No," she said stubbornly. "If anything, we led them to Charlie and Case. We have to make sure they're okay."

"Max –"

"Alec, please," she pleaded. "Look, you don't have to stay if you don't want to. But I can't just walk away. She's my _sister_, Alec. That's my _nephew_ in there. I don't expect you to understand, but –"

"Fine," he ground out against his better judgment. "I'll help. But we've got to go somewhere to regroup, figure out a plan that won't get us shot."

She squeezed his hand, and her thankful smile almost made him feel like it was worthwhile. He didn't know why he just couldn't manage to say no to her. She made him _want_ to help, and he wasn't sure how that feeling sat with him. The fact that she already had that kind of power over him, made him _want_ to do whatever it was to satisfy her, scared him. But he knew how much her family meant to her, and even though his instincts were screaming at him that he was a complete idiot, he was going to help her.

_Damn those big brown eyes of hers. _

A little way off in the distance, another pair of eyes watched them walk off. A gloved hand clutched a sharp knife tightly, and then the figure turned and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"Alright, we've got men here, here, and here," Alec said, pointing to three spots on the hand drawn map of the place. "There's also three guys out front posing as construction men, and –"

He cocked his head to the side, hearing a sound coming from outside the warehouse they were currently hiding in. Max had heard the sound as well, and was already moving stealthily towards the door. She made several hands signals at him, and he nimbly climbed out through a window, with the intention of cornering whoever it was between the two of them.

Max leaned against the side of the door, making sure that no part of her was visible. At first all she could hear was silence, and then a scuffle broke out outside. She blurred to where the sounds were coming from and saw Alec fighting someone dressed all in black. She saw him get punched in the face and go down hard, so she jumped into the fray, immediately sweeping the intruder's legs out from under them. The person did a back handspring and landed easily into a fighting stance just as some of the moon's light moved over their face.

Tinga.

Just before Tinga moved forward to strike again, Max called out. "Tinga! It's me, Max!"

Tinga froze for a second, but her eyes narrowed and she remained in her fighting stance. "Max is dead."

She was completely baffled for a moment before she realized what she was talking about. Jondy had seen her fall under the ice – she must have told the rest of them that she was dead.

"No, I'm not. I made it out, big sister." She held up her hands to show that she wasn't a threat, and turned around slowly. "Look at my barcode."

After a moment's hesitation, she felt hands brush at her neck, and then a gasp of disbelief.

"Maxie? It's you? It's really you?"

Max nodded, happy tears moistening her eyes. She refused to let them fall though – Alec would never let her hear the end of it. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Her sister embraced her tightly, and then she looked at Alec.

"Is that… Ben?" She moved forward to hug him too but he danced out of the way.

"Uh no," he said. "I'm Alec. Ben's clone."

Tinga's eyes got round. "He has a clone?"

"You all do, actually."

"That's so –" Her gaze turned suspicious. "Why are you out of Manticore, then?"

"Aw, come on. Is everyone gonna give me the third degree? I'm not a spy!"

"Then why is Manticore surrounding my home?"

Max hurriedly got in between the two of them. "Alec's alright, Tinga. Trust me. As for Manticore, well that's kind of our fault. We were meeting with Charlie because he had asked Eyes Only for help to find you. They must have followed us from Seattle. But we're gonna help you get them out, I promise."

She became confused again. "You guys are working for Eyes Only? But isn't that –"

"A great way to expose ourselves? Yeah, we were feeling kinda suicidal and figured 'eh, what the hell'," he said sarcastically.

"Why'd you leave, Tinga?" Max walked back into the warehouse and motioned for them to follow.

"A couple months back I was on my way home from the bakery when some guys started to hassle me. I tried to get them to lay off but they wouldn't quit, and I just didn't have the time for it, so I took them out. I was sloppy though. I didn't kill them, and they went to the police. I knew a story like that might attract Lydecker's attention, so I disappeared for a while. I never meant to stay away for so long, but I started thinking that maybe it was for the best. That way, I thought Charlie and Case would never be in danger."

"You never told him who you were?"

"Right, I can see how that would go over," Alec said. "Honey, I love you so much. I just hope you won't mind the fact that I'm a genetically engineered killing machine on the run. Now, what do you want for dinner?"

"I tried to," Tinga said. "The first night we met. He told me everything about himself, and I felt so comfortable with him, like I could tell him anything. So I did. And then I saw the look on his face."

Alec's face darkened and he looked away. He knew exactly what face she was talking about. It was the same look Rachel had given him right before she had run away from him. He had never imagined one look could hurt so much, like a slap to the face. He almost wished she had hit him. It probably would have hurt less than looking into her eyes.

"So you laughed it off and told him it was a joke," Max said. "I've been there."

Alec perked up at this. Just how many guys exactly had she tried to tell about herself? Somehow, the thought of Max with some other idiot made him feel slightly homicidal.

_Maybe I'm losing my mind. Max has got to be the most impossible woman on earth. I don't give a damn who she's been with._

At least that's what he was going to keep telling himself.

"I'm going to tell him the truth when we get them out of there tonight," Tinga said.

"Honey, when he sees us kicking ass without breaking a sweat, I think he's gonna clue in on just how special you are," Max said, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulder. Tinga laughed softly and rested her head against Max's side.

* * *

In the dead of night, the trio of transgenics ran softly across the rooftop of the building across from Tinga's home. Alec set up a rope that crossed to the other building, tested its strength, and then motioned for the other two to follow him across. They moved swiftly and quietly, and once on the other side took out their arsenal. Tinga grabbed a hangun, as did Alec. He handed one to Max, who got a weird look on her face before shaking her head and opting to go with a variety of knives. He found that odd but made no comment. In the distance, he heard the sound of a loud engine rumbling, and he ran to the side of the building, Max and Tinga close behind him. They watched as a Hummer came to a stop near the building and someone stepped out.

"Lydecker," Tinga murmured, the hate clearly evident in her voice.

He had a radio in his hand. "Alpha team, cover the exits. Bravo is in the apartment to retrieve the target. Move out. Go."

"We gotta move it," Max said. They ran stealthily into the building, eyes keenly on the lookout for soldiers. Alec, who was leading them, put two fingers to his eyes, and motioned forward. Max and Alec rushed the two soldiers who had been about to turn the corner and took them out without a sound. Tinga opened the laundry chute and threw a smoke grenade inside, then pulled the fire alarm adjacent to it.

Alec turned to face the two women, hands moving rapidly in communication.

_I'll cover you guys. You two get Case and Charlie._

They nodded and Max and Tinga rushed into Charlie's place.

"Mommy!" Case cried.

"Hi sweetie," Tinga said, taking a short moment to hug him.

"Penny," Charlie said, completely bewildered. He became alarmed when she went to a wall, punched through it, and grabbed a gun lying inside.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise."

"We gotta go, people! Move!" Max wet a cloth and covered Case's face to prevent smoke inhalation, then tugged Charlie's arm. "See? I told you I'd find her." Something in his face told her that he didn't appreciate the joke.

Tinga swung Case into her arms and Max hustled Charlie out of the unit. They ran down the hall to where Alec was taking out some more soldiers. The elevators dinged.

"Take cover!" Max yelled, and Alec shot at the soldiers coming out from them. Thundering footsteps reached her ears from the opposite direction. "There's men on the stairs!"

"I got this," Tinga said, whipping out her gun. She took them out, and ran up them, motioning for Charlie to follow her. He stood frozen, unable to process what was going on.

"Come on buddy." Alec prodded him in the back. "Move faster unless you want to get shot."

They made their way to the rooftop and Max pulled some ropes and harnesses out of her rucksack. She tossed some to Tinga who immediately began strapping Case to her, and she approached Charlie with another one.

"You ever rock climb?"

The look of fear was enough to answer her question.

"It's easy."

She finished up with Charlie and then went to Alec. "I'll lower Charlie down then come back the way I came."

"No way. I'll lower him down. I'm not going to let you stay here."

"I know what I'm doing, Alec."

"Lydecker's soldiers are gonna bust onto this roof real soon, Max. And let's face it – when it comes to fighting, you're a little rusty. Don't argue with me."

His commanding tone surprised her, but she reluctantly deferred to him. She grabbed hold of the rope and stood on the edge of the ledge. Her eyes met his and he saw the worry reflected in hers.

"Hey Alec… don't die. I don't think Sketchy would appreciate being my punching bag."

He chuckled. "I thought you wanted to give me incentive to stay alive."

She rolled her eyes and then disappeared off the side of the building. Charlie followed uneasily after her, and Tinga rappelled quickly down the side with Case holding onto her firmly.

Alec watched all three of them touch down on the ground and then run off, Max pausing a moment to glance at him once more before turning away. He heard the roof's door bang open behind him and whirled around to face the men.

Showtime.

* * *

"Ow!"

"Stop being such a baby," Max admonished, wiping the cloth over the deep cut on his arm.

"You owe me. Big time," he hissed. "At least I didn't get shot. That was a pleasant surprise."

"Because getting knifed is so much better."

"At least there's no bullet to pull out." He looked around for Logan. "Hey. Can you grab me some alcohol?"

"Max has some right beside her," he said.

"Not for the wound. For me," Alec grunted.

"Oh." He wheeled away.

"And get me some real stuff!" Alec called. "None of those light wines. Scotch or something!"

Case came up to the two of them.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Yup. That's why you should never play with knives."

"Did you put them in your pants?" he asked innocently.

Max burst out laughing and this time it was Alec who did the glaring.

"No. I was fighting with a bad guy."

"Maybe you shouldn't fight the bad guy next time and you won't get hurt."

"That's what I keep telling your aunty, but she likes seeing me hurt." He winked at Max. "Just cause she wants to take care of me later." She smacked him and he hissed again in pain.

"So how's the happy couple?" Logan asked, handing Alec a glass. He nodded in thanks, moaning in appreciation as the liquid made its way down his throat.

"He'll get over it. At least they're safe," Max said.

* * *

"Charlie," Tinga said, trying to move closer to him on the couch. "I know that this is a lot to take in."

"A lot to take in? Pe – Tinga. This is… this is just insane! How could you have brought me into this? Brought Case into this?"

"I wanted to tell you before. I _did_ tell you… sort of."

"I thought you were joking! I didn't know you really were a… a…"

"A killer? I know that's what you think I am, Charlie. And I don't blame you. I know how bad this looks. But I love you. I love Case. None of that was a lie. The person I was, other than my name, it was all real. I should have told you the truth a long time ago, and I'm sorry that I didn't. But I haven't changed Charlie. I still love baking. I absolutely can't stand anchovies. I'm a sucker for Disney movies. _Please._" Her eyes filled with tears. "Please don't throw everything we have away because of what I am."

He finally took her hand and just stared at it, his eyes unseeing. Finally, he spoke. "I don't want to throw everything away either. I just… everything's so different. I don't even know what to call you anymore."

"Call me Tinga," she said. "Because that's who I am."

"Tinga," he mumbled.

"We're a family, Charlie. We'll always be a family, because I love the two of you."

"I… I still love you Pe – Tinga. I just… this isn't easy."

"I'm not saying it's going to be. But maybe, if you learn who I am as Tinga, it'll be easier." He didn't say anything. "Charlie?"

He sighed. "I don't know. But I'm willing to try." He gave her a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. She returned it, and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Mommy!" Case called, launching himself into her lap.

"Yeah baby?"

"You never told me the ending to that story. What happened to the Princess?"

Tinga smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. "She fell in love and had a family."

"Did they live happily ever after?"

She took Charlie's hand. "I think so. I hope so."

* * *

"So, you got your Disney ending. I'm gonna go home and sleep, if it's okay with your Highness."

She walked him to the door. "Thanks. For helping out."

"Anything for a little kid. I love kids."

She raised an eyebrow. "You love kids?"

"Hell yeah. They're so cute with their… little-ness."

She shot him a disbelieving look.

"All right, fine. Don't give an injured man some lovin'."

She laughed. "Go home Alec. Cause the only loving you're gonna get is in your dreams."

"Oh, we'll see Max. We'll see."

He gave her an impish grin before the elevator door closed and she was left wondering what he meant by that.

The comment hadn't thrilled her. Not at all. There was zero curiosity in what he was planning.

At least that's what she was going to keep telling herself.

* * *

A/N: Woohoo. This was a long one. I'm going bleary-eyed from staring at the screen. Hope this made sense because I had to rework how Lydecker found out about Tinga a bit. And anyone notice the Supernatural reference? Haha. Feedback is greatly appreciated!


	8. Friends for Life

A/N: This chapter is a little bit of filler until we get into some more action. I'm so glad that everyone's enjoying the ride so far. Any feedback is appreciated.

By the way, I just created a new forum called "Crash". I figured that almost all of the forums have gone extinct over the years, and this would be a great way for us authors and readers to chat about the show and stories, post challenges, recommend fics, etc. While it's centered on MA, anyone of any ship is welcome to come in and chat.

* * *

_So many people come and go  
Nothing can change the "you" I know  
You'll never be just a face in the crowd  
And time will show  
Through the seasons and the years  
I will always hold you dear  
Never you fear_

_'Cause I'm never gonna walk away  
If the walls come down someday  
All alone and you feel afraid  
I'll be there when you call my name  
You can always depend on me  
I believe  
Until forever ends  
I will be your friend_

_I will be your friend, Amy Grant_

"What the hell were you _thinking_!" Renfro shouted. "I gave you a direct order to follow them. _Follow them_, not organize a piss-poor retrieval attempt – which failed _miserably_ – and tip them off that we're aware of their location!"

"I thought it wiser to capture the X5s before they slipped off our radar," Lydecker replied scornfully.

The expression on his superior's face was livid. "Well, fantastic job, _Colonel_. You ended up with nothing, and now we'll be _forced_ to bring them in. They know that we know where they are. If we don't act now, they're going to scatter all across the map. At least before we had a shot of learning the others' location!"

"I do apologize." The defiant tone in his voice suggested otherwise. "It was a calculated risk. It always is with these kids."

"Bring them in," Renfro spat. "And don't screw his up, Deck. You're on very thin ice right now. One slip and you can fall right through."

* * *

"Boo, you planning on coming out of there sometime this year? I wanna get there early to scope out the honeys before some other fool gets there first."

"One minute," Max called through the bathroom door.

Tonight was Crash's monthly party night. On the first Friday of every month, all of the tables were pushed to the sides of the bar so that they could create a makeshift dance floor, and a disco ball was hung from the crumbling ceiling. Cheesy maybe, but fun. It felt good to finally have one night to relax after all the action that had been going on in her life these past couple of weeks.

Tinga had left the day before with Charlie and Case, intending to cross over to Canada and lay low for a while. Logan had provided them with new identities, as well as some startup money to help them make their way in the frozen north. None of them seemed too pleased with the idea of going there, but they had all agreed that at least for the time being, they had to disappear. Max was sad to see her sister go, especially after only having spent such a short time with her, but Tinga promised to visit her again, when it was safer.

Max snorted. _Safer_. At that rate, they'd be lucky to see each other in this lifetime.

At least Charlie seemed like a stand-up guy, despite the fact that he'd just found out that his wife was a genetically engineered trained assassin who was on the run from her creators. He had still looked a little shell-shocked when they had left, but seemed to have no intention of leaving her. Max was happy that her sister had found someone who had managed to accept her for what she was. She remembered how much of a relief it had been when she had first met Logan and finally found someone she didn't have to lie to on a daily basis. And now she also had Alec. She no longer had to run alone without having someone to watch her back. It was a good feeling.

She pinned the last curl into place on top of her head, dabbed some sheer gloss onto her pouty lips and took in her appearance in the mirror. It wasn't a look she often wore; her mass of dark curls were for once twisted into a messy up-do that Kendra had taught her how to do, and she was wearing a form-fitting spaghetti strap red dress, its asymmetrical hem swishing around her legs as she walked. On her feet were black peep-toe heels which made her feel as if she was going to fall over with every step she took. She felt immensely uncomfortable in the whole getup, and wished her best friend had just let her wear her jeans and tank top like she had wanted to.

"_You'll have your boy eating out of your hand,"_ Cindy had said.

Max absolutely refused to believe the outfit was for Alec's benefit. She was going to a party – that was enough of an excuse to get dressed up. She didn't care whether or not the other transgenic found her attractive.

She stepped out of the bathroom, doing a little twirl in front of Kendra and Original Cindy. Cindy let out a whistle.

"Damn sugar. You ever decide to play for the all-girl team, you know Original Cindy's got first dibs on ya, aiight?"

Max laughed and grabbed her coat off the couch. "You know it."

"You look gorgeous, honey," Kendra said. "Alec's gonna flip."

She reddened. "How many times have I told you that Alec's not my boy?"

Kendra and Original Cindy shared a look. "And how many times have we told you that we don't believe you?" Cindy replied.

To that, she could only groan and walk out the door.

* * *

Crash was already crowded by the time they got there. The bass thumped loudly, the walls and floor vibrating with the motion. The three women craned their necks for people they recognized, and finally Original Cindy pointed in the direction of the bar.

"I see Sketchy," she said, taking the arms of her friends and leading them through the crowd of gyrating people. Max scowled as she felt many hands brush her backside as they passed through, but there were too many people to figure out who the offenders were. Besides, tonight she was there to party. She had done enough ass-kicking to last her for a while.

"Hey wigger," Original Cindy greeted, smacking him upside the head. By her smile, it was obvious the gesture was supposed to be affectionate.

"Hi ladies." He nodded at Kendra. "Hey. Haven't seen you around much lately."

"That's cause she's too busy shacking up with Mr. Multiples," Max said, grinning widely. Sketchy's eyes landed on her and got as round as spoons. They traveled downwards and landed on her chest.

"Max! I didn't even recognize you. You look… you look…" He continued to babble incoherently until Original Cindy smacked him on the head again.

"You act like you've never seen a pair of breasts before, fool."

Herbal, who had been sitting next to Sketchy, started to chuckle. "I am not too sure he has, Original Cindy. Our boy likes to tell tales."

Sketchy was rubbing the sore spot on his head. "I think this is why I'm constantly losing brain cells. It's because you guys are always abusing me."

"So where's everyone else?" Max asked innocently. Sketchy looked around in confusion. Their core group of friends were there, so who was she looking for?

Original Cindy, smiling slyly, asked, "Where's Alec, boo?"

Max rounded on her. "I was not asking about him!"

"Sure baby girl. Then who were you looking for?"

"No one in specific. Just some of the other guys. Like uh…" Her mind scrambled frantically, trying to remember the other people they hung out with occasionally. "Sky!" She said triumphantly. "And uh… does Normal come to these things?"

"Please _do not_ _tell me_ that you were looking for _Normal_," Original Cindy said with a horrified look. Luckily, Sketchy saved her from responding.

"Alec's over at the pool tables, playing Logan."

Max's mouth dropped open. "Logan?" Logan almost never came to Crash. It wasn't his scene, with the loud music and the… well, the people. They weren't the polished, well-brought-up people he usually talked to when he went out – at least that's what she imagined. She never really met any of Logan's friends, other than Bling, who was around occasionally.

She went over to the pool tables, and was shocked to see that he was indeed there and apparently very focused on his game. Across from him was Alec. For once he wasn't wearing his usual leather jacket and jeans, instead opting for some corduroys and a sand-coloured cotton button-up shirt. The first couple of buttons were open, revealing smooth, tanned skin. His muscles flexed as he aimed the pool stick expertly and took a shot, sinking three balls at once.

Max attributed the heat she felt to the packed bodies inside the bar, and sauntered up to the two of them.

"So I see the great Logan Cale decided to prove to the world that he was alive," she said teasingly.

He returned her smile with one of his own and took in her appearance. "Well, I decided Alec was right. I can't stay in all the time. You look beautiful, by the way."

"You hear that Maxie?" Alec said, taking another shot. "He said _I was right_. A fact which you should acknowledge more often." The eight ball sunk into the far right pocket and he held out a hand to Logan. "Sorry buddy. My game. You play pretty well for an ordinary though."

"Thanks," Logan answered, shaking the offered hand.

Alec came around the table to stand in front of her. He appraised her openly, his eyes moving torturously slow from the top of her head to the shoes she had on her feet. She fidgeted nervously, feeling completely naked under his gaze.

"Well, what do you know? Maxie _is_ a girl," he said, smirking. Her eyes flashed and she raised a hand to smack him, but he caught it in a vice-like grip. His eyes were smoldering as he looked at her. "But you _do_ look gorgeous." This last part was said so quietly only a transgenic could hear it. Her face flushed, and she cursed the fact that even though the room was dark, he could most definitely see the redness on her cheeks.

She muttered something that sounded like "thanks" and searched for a subject to switch the focus on.

"Sketchy got a table near the bar," Max announced. "You guys want to grab some drinks?"

"They're on me," Alec said, fingering some bills. He noticed her affronted look. "Is it my fault nobody can play pool around here?"

"Well, you _are_ using your superpowers on us unsuspecting townspeople," Logan pointed out, chuckling. "This is also why I stopped playing chess with Max. Kinda takes the fun out of it when the game's over in five moves."

Alec left them, motioning for the bartender, and they moved slowly to where the rest of the Jam Pony crew were sitting.

"You know, you still haven't collected your rain check on a poulet chez Cale," Logan said.

"I know. Sorry." She shrugged apologetically. "Things have just kinda been –"

"Busy," he finished for her. "I get it. With Alec and Manticore, and then your sister. I understand, Max."

There was a small pause, and then he cut her a sideways look. "You and Alec seem to be getting along better."

"I guess so," she said. "Sometimes he's a huge pain in the ass and other times…" She trailed off, her mind drifting to the way he had taken care of her when she had had her seizures. She remembered him helping her change clothes, the way his hand had rested on her hip, warming the skin there. She bit her lip. "Other times he's a smaller pain in the ass."

Logan's lips quirked. "I see."

She looked at him, a frown marring her unlined forehead. "What do you mean_ 'I see'_?"

Logan looked flustered. "Nothing. I was just saying –"

"Well, your tone of voice makes it sound like I _like_ him or something," she interrupted.

"Which you don't," he said. An amused smile played at his lips.

She threw her hands up in the air irritably. "Which I _completely _don't! I don't know why everyone keeps _hinting_ at it. He gets on my nerves and _I don't like him_."

"I see."

She glared at him murderously, choosing to accelerate her pace and walk ahead of him to the table. She plopped down in a seat and tapped the edge of the table agitatedly. Her friends looked at her curiously.

"Max, you okay?" Kendra asked.

"I'm fine," she ground out from between her teeth. Logan finally caught up to her and wheeled into a spot beside her.

"Quit moping then," Cindy ordered. "Cause Original Cindy came here to party and forget her troubles, and she ain't gonna have her boo sitting over here all Heathcliff-like."

"What troubles?" Max asked. She looked worriedly at her friend, all irritation instantly gone.

"Just got evicted today, boo. That no good, bottom-feeding landlord decided to up the rent, and Original Cindy just ain't got the chips."

"Why you not tell us?" Herbal took her arm. "Sometimes the Most High makes things hard for his messengers, but it's all good, all the time."

"You can stay with us," Max promised.

"No, I don't wanna impose, or nothing," said Original Cindy, shaking her head. "It'll be tight with the three of us."

"No, it won't," Kendra spoke suddenly. Everyone looked at her. "Max, I didn't know when to tell you, but… Mr. Multiples asked me to move in with him."

Max's jaw dropped open. "What?"

Kendra looked both a little uncomfortable and excited. "And I said yes."

Max blinked. "Who _is _this guy?"

She looked at a loss for words. "You know him," she hinted.

Max thought of all the men they knew and couldn't think of one that Kendra would even consider dating. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

"It's… uh… it's Walter." She was met with Max's blank look. "You know... _Walter?_ _Officer_ Walter?"

Understanding began to dawn, and a horrified look came over Max's features. "Kendra. You don't mean the guy who used to shake us down for squatting. _Please_ tell me he's not Mr. Multiples."

"He's not so bad, once you get to know him."

Max groaned, putting her hands over her face. She tried to see the bright side in this. She really did. Kendra was happy, and that was what mattered, right? _Come on Max. Be a good friend .You can do it._

She couldn't do it.

"_Walter? _Kendra, of all the people, it had to be _him?_" She shivered, trying to get the image out of her head, and almost throwing up in the back of her throat when she remembered all the times they joked about Mr. Multiples and banging the gong 12 hours straight. _Bad Max. Bad._ She took a deep breath.

"Sorry. If he's the one that moves your furniture, be my guest." She put an arm around Original Cindy. "And it looks like _you_ can't make any more excuses."

Original Cindy finally cracked a grin. "Looks like we gonna be roomies."

Alec came up then, two pitchers of beer in his hands. "What did I miss?"

"Kendra's moving out, so Original Cindy is gonna move in with Max," Sketchy informed him. Alec's face turned into the picture of hurt.

"You were looking for a roommate, and you didn't ask me, Max?"

She decided to humour him. "And why exactly would I ask you?"

He slid onto a stool opposite her. "Well, you lost an excellent opportunity to ogle me at night without my shirt on. Now, you're going to have to ask like everyone else."

"I'm sure I'll survive," she replied dryly. Sketchy snickered and even Logan had to hide a smile.

"Well, Original Cindy is going to take herself over to that fine sister in the middle of the dance floor," she announced. "Later."

"I think I'm gonna dance too," Kendra said. "Boys, you coming?" Both Herbal and Sketchy shook their heads, pointing at the pool tables, and Logan gestured to his wheelchair. Alec stood up.

"What the heck. I'll come." He put down his drink and followed her to the center of the room.

"You aren't going to go?" Logan asked Max. She wrinkled her nose.

"Dancing really isn't my thing."

They sat there for a while, not really saying much. The silence between them was comfortable as they both just observed what people were doing around them. Several times Max's eyes strayed to the dance floor where she saw that Alec had stopped dancing with Kendra and was chatting up another blonde in the corner. She felt an inexplicable anger towards the woman, and she held back an urge to stomp right over there and… do _something_. Her eyes flared wide open with dismay when she realized what she was thinking, and looked away from him. She found Logan staring at her thoughtfully and grasped for something to say.

"So, how do you like your first steps back into society? Having fun?"

Logan chuckled. "Contrary to popular belief, I _do_ get out on occasion. But yes, I'm having a good time. Question is, are you?"

A confused look settled on her face. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

He nodded over her shoulder, to where she knew Alec was standing. "You tell me."

She rolled her eyes and was about to reply when she saw him acknowledge someone behind her. Turning, she saw Alec standing in front of her, hand held out.

"Come dance with me."

She raised an eyebrow. "You want me to dance with you?"

"Why not?" he challenged.

She looked at the offered hand and then back at Logan.

"Go on," he encouraged. "I'll be fine."

"I'll see you later, okay?" she said, moving after Alec.

"Yeah, later." She missed the somewhat saddened look on his face as the two of them walked off.

Once upon a time, he had thought that there might have been a chance for them to be together. However it was obvious that at least right now, she only viewed him as a friend. He knew he was lucky to have her in his life, in whatever form.

And if she wanted him to be her friend, that's what he was going to be.

* * *

Just as they got onto the floor, the DJ changed the song to one of a slower tempo. Alec pulled Max closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as they started swaying side to side.

"Didn't take you for the dancing type," she commented.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Like what?" she asked, genuinely curious to know.

He lowered his forehead to hers, lips dangerously close. "I don't think I'm gonna tell you."

His breath tickled her face. Her throat had become dry all of a sudden. "How come?"

"Because now I have something you want to know, and it's gonna bug you to death until you figure it out," he said mischievously.

She didn't even work up the energy to smack him, as she was too busy staring at his eyes. They were mostly green, with a rim of brown around the iris. A bit of gold flecked the outer edges. She realized how close they were standing. She also realized that she should be feeling very uncomfortable, but at the moment everything felt right. Like nothing bad could ever possibly –

"Max!"

She broke away from him, looking to see who had called her. She spotted Original Cindy a couple feet away, struggling under the weight of a very drunk Sketchy.

"Help me get him outside, will ya?"

She rolled her eyes, but she was grateful for the distraction. She had come so close to – well, she didn't know exactly, but she was sure that if she had kept standing there in his arms, she would have done something stupid and mortifyingly embarrassing.

She grabbed Sketchy, pretending to struggle with his weight as well so that her friend wouldn't be suspicious. Between the two of them, they managed to make it outside to some trashcans in the alley before Sketchy threw up.

"This fool just don't know when to quit," Original Cindy said, shaking her head.

"I owe you guys," Sketchy mumbled, then gripped the sides of the trashcan as he bent over to puke again.

"You sure do, wigga," Cindy continued, "'cause I was just about to make a move on my girl."

Max wasn't listening. There were some cars screeching down the street, then all of a sudden, the noise stopped and there was the sound of footsteps. Lots of footsteps. She ran to the mouth of the alley and saw dozens of soldiers stepping down from several cars. One looked up and caught sight of her standing there. She cursed, recognizing him as one of the men she had taken out the night she had found Alec near Crash. And apparently, he recognized her too, because he was motioning towards her.

_They must have gone to the last location they found us at in Seattle_, she realized. She had to warn Alec, but they were closer to the door than she was. She ran back down the alley, intending to go in through the side door.

"452!" one of the soldiers yelled, running after her, guns ready. Original Cindy looked up in alarm. Sketchy was passed out beside her. Max immediately ran to the door, slamming it in frustration when it didn't open. _It must lock automatically_.

"Max?" Original Cindy called. She turned around and saw at least twenty soldiers surrounding her in a loose semicircle. "Boo, please tell me these ain't your boys looking for a late-night booty call."

"452!" One of the soldiers stepped forward – she distinctly remembered having shoved her fist up his nose and broken it. Apparently he did too, judging by the look on his face. "You can come back the easy way, or the hard way."

"God knows I never like to do things the easy way," she taunted. "Bring it." She was aware of Original Cindy's presence as she moved forward and quickly took out the first guy before he had taken two steps, but it couldn't be helped. Later on, she'd have no choice but to tell her what she was, and she had to admit that some part of her was relieved about that. No more lying about who she was, no more secrets. In the back of her mind some part of her also acknowledged that maybe her friend wouldn't be able to take it, would look at her like a freak. Her heart fell into her stomach at the thought of Cindy hating her.

A fist nearly landed on her face, and she swore as she pushed all other thoughts but the fight at hand out of her mind. _Get your head in the game soldier._ She grabbed a fistful of the guy's shirt, and threw him across the alley. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Original Cindy's shock at her superhuman force. She blurred forward and took out two more guys with a quick spinning kick and an uppercut. She ground her teeth as she saw that more of them were advancing despite the ones she had knocked unconscious. She couldn't do this alone.

As if he had heard her unspoken plea, Alec barreled into the alleyway, the door knocking into the wall with extreme force. He studied the scene.

"These guys are like fricking gnats," he muttered as he got to work taking them out. "They never go away."

He did an aerial, landing behind his target, and wrapped his hand around the guy's neck, clamping down on his pressure points. He fell to the ground unconscious, and Alec spun around quickly, but not quite fast enough to avoid the stream of electricity that shot out from the taser guns. He dropped to the floor, convulsing.

"Get rid of the witnesses," the commanding officer barked at his soldiers. One soldier moved towards Original Cindy, holding his gun menacingly. Cindy had her hands around Sketchy's unconscious form, staring down at the barrel of the gun. She couldn't do anything, not without leaving Sketchy. She closed her eyes as the soldier leveled his gun at her, and switched it off the taser setting.

"NO!" Max yelled, diving in front of her. She grunted as the bullet pierced her skin, somewhere around her abdomen. In the background she could hear someone else screaming her name, and recognized that it was Alec. It was funny how she had weird spots messing with her vision, which was slowly getting dimmer.

_That's weird_, she thought before she surrendered to the calling darkness.

* * *

Something was really itching her.

She kicked her legs, trying to get whatever was itching off of her. She heard quiet laughter and suddenly the itchiness was gone. She opened her eyes, blinking at the sudden light. She was at Logan's. Her gaze fell to the floor, and saw a brown blanket lying in a heap. So that's what was itching her.

"You had us worried," Logan said, wheeling into her view. She tried to sit, and then instantly regretted it as a searing pain shot through her stomach.

"I hate it when I get shot," she mumbled.

"Now you know how I feel all the time," Alec said lightly. She realized with surprise that the comfy cushion she had been laying on was actually his lap. Her cheeks reddened slightly with embarrassment, and she tried to get up again.

"You got shot, stupid. Stop trying to move," he scolded. Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Who are you calling stupid?"

"How do you feel?" Logan interrupted, sensing an oncoming fight. "Soon as we had you out of there I called Sam Carr. He patched you up."

"How _did_ we get out of there?" she wondered. Alec and Logan looked at each other, the former looking uncomfortable.

"I kinda got pissed at them after you got shot," Alec said, not meeting her gaze. "Went kinda nuts on them. And then Logan came outside, wondering what was taking so long, and well…" A small grin appeared. "Gotta admit, man knows how to use a gun. Would never have guessed it, with you being all 'save the world'. I thought you were a pacifist."

"Is Original Cindy okay?" she asked abruptly, remembering who she had been trying to save in the first place.

Again Alec and Logan shared a look. She was starting to hate this male bonding thing.

"She's in the other room, actually," Alec said. "I had to tell her about us."

Max swallowed. "And?"

"I'll get her," Logan said, wheeling out of the room. Alec slipped out from under her head, inserting a pillow in his place. He kneeled at the edge of the couch.

"You've got to be more careful, Max. You could've been hurt worse," he said softly. He still wasn't looking straight at her. "You scared the shit out of me."

A warm feeling settled in her chest with knowing that he was worried about her. That he _cared_. "I'm fine though," she reminded him.

"You could have not been," he retorted. "You're not a superhero, Maxie, even with what we can do." Finally, he looked at her, a grin firmly in place. "Though I bet I'd look good even in tights."

She laughed and threw a pillow at him, just as Original Cindy came into the room. He stood and left immediately, allowing them some privacy.

"Hey," Max said, unsure of how her friend was feeling. Cindy came near the couch and sat down on the edge.

"So Alec tells me you two are some revved-up super soldiers or something," she said.

"Yeah," Max responded slowly. "How you feeling about that?"

Original Cindy shook her head. "I don't know, girl. There's a lot of stuff to think about. How come you never told me this before?"

Max shrugged, a lump in her throat. "When I met you, we clicked right away. All of a sudden, I had a friend, someone who I could count on and who actually _cared_ about me. I never had that before." She blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. _Keep it together soldier_. "You have no idea how much your friendship has meant to me, OC. And I guess I was afraid that if I told you, you'd look at me like I was some kind of freak, just like everybody else in my life has. Like I was something wrong, something to be afraid of." She couldn't help it. A tear made its lonely way down the side of her face.

She felt hands on her own now, and looked straight at Original Cindy, whose eyes were also filling with tears. "You saved my life. You jumped in front of a bullet for me. And Original Cindy ain't never gonna forget that." She squeezed her hand. "You my boo, for life. No matter what, I always got your back."

Cindy leaned forward to embrace her, and she hugged her friend back tightly. "You know you can't tell anyone," she reminded her quietly. "Not Sketchy, not even Kendra. Nobody can know, OC."

"Calm down sugar. You think I don't know how to be covert? I seen all the movies."

Max laughed and hugged her again. Over Cindy's shoulder she saw Alec poke his head back in.

"Is the chick flick moment over yet or what?"

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it. In case anyone's curious, we're about halfway through the story. I've got it all plotted out. I'm really sorry about the waits between updates, but I would really appreciate it if you could all bear with me and be patient. I'll get to the updates as soon as I possibly can.

Feedback's always appreciated! :)


	9. Oh Brother

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it. Without further ado, here's the next part.

* * *

_How strong do you think I am?  
How much can I take of this?  
Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?  
Or the breath at the end of a kiss?  
How deep do you want to go, because I'll go there if I can,  
You make it harder than it has to be,  
How strong, how strong do you think I am_

_How Strong Do You Think I Am, Alexz Johnson_

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" the crowd chanted. Sketchy gulped down the last of the pitcher's contents and slammed it down on the table triumphantly, teetering unsteadily.

"Yeah!" he yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. The action made him wobble and he clutched the table for support.

Max rolled her eyes. "You'd think he'd have learned his lesson from a couple of weeks ago."

Original Cindy snorted. "Wigger ain't gonna learn nothing if we keep helping him get home every night. This time, fool's on his own."

"Alright, I'm up," Alec said, shrugging out of his jacket and gesturing to the bartender to refill the pitcher.

"Now how is that fair?" Cindy crossed her arms. "Supersoldier over here can drink till tomorrow and not get buzzed."

"Perks of being a genetically engineered mutant," he drawled.

"Pretty much the _only_ perk," Max muttered, her hands dropping to her pager. "Can I borrow your phone?"

He held it out to her and she reached across to take it, her stomach twingeing slightly at the movement. It had healed up nicely in the past three weeks, with only the occasional pain, however she still wasn't 100%. She had to hand it to Manticore; they had done a good job engineering her healing abilities. She bet they had never counted on it coming back to bite them in the ass though – now it was all the much harder to take her down and keep her down.

Her fingers punched in the familiar number and she tapped her foot impatiently while waiting for him to pick up. Alec picked up the pitcher and at the bartender's nod, started chugging down the beer before his opponent's had even touched his lips.

She heard a click. "Logan. What's up?"

"Hey Max. I need to talk to you. Can you come over?"

His tone was strangely serious. She frowned.

"We're talking now. What's wrong?"

Alec's eyes were on her now from over the rim of his jug, staring intently.

"It's not something I really want to say over the phone. Can you swing by?" he asked.

She nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Yeah. I'll see you soon."

She hung up and found that Alec was already standing in front of her. She looked past him and noticed the half-empty pitcher, concluding that he had forfeited the drinking match.

"We going over to Logan's?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," she said. "I'm sure that everything's fine. You know Logan – an old lady's cat stuck in a tree constitutes an emergency." Her worried look belied her light words.

He shrugged. "Well, we do have to look out for our fellow cats. They're family," he joked. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on. "Let's go."

* * *

"So what's the dealio?" Max asked as she strode into Logan's penthouse. "Do we have some evildoer stealing all of the hot water or what?" Her teasing tone vanished as soon as she saw the look on his face.

"You wanted me to search for your siblings, so I had some of my people in the police department and the morgue on the lookout for anyone who might fit the profile." His eyes were sympathetic. "Dr. Beverly Shankar called me today. She said that a John Doe showed up today in the morgue. He had a barcode on the back of his neck."

Her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, and there was a lump in her throat that was impossible to swallow. Her fists clenched. "Do you know the numbers on the barcode?"

Logan typed something on the computer, bringing up a picture of the back of someone's neck. She stepped closer, eyes focusing on the last three numbers.

_493_.

"Ben," she breathed hoarsely. She was trembling with the effort of keeping her emotions in check. "I want to see him."

"Are you sure you want to do what Max?" Alec asked, speaking for the first time. He laid a hand on her shoulder and for once, she didn't shrug him off. "It might be better to just – to stay away."

She shook her head, curls flying around her face. "No. He's – he _was_ my brother. And a soldier always pays their respects." She blinked and was unable to stop a tear from trickling down her face. She didn't bother to wipe it away, but Alec did. She barely felt his fingers on her skin. All she could think about was Ben. Ben, who would make shadow puppets on the wall to entertain her. The boy who told her stories late at night when she couldn't fall asleep. The boy who had so much faith in a lady he could never see, but who believed that she would protect them anyway. Ben was dead.

_Looks like the Blue Lady isn't looking out for us after all._

* * *

Max sat numbly on a chair in the morgue, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell her she could see Ben. She was dimly aware of Alec trying to engage her in conversation several times, before giving up entirely and remaining silent.

"_Tell us a story Ben."_

"_Pray to her, Jack. The Blue Lady will protect you."_

"_The Nomlies hide in the dark, and when you're not looking, they snatch you up."_

"Miss? Miss?"

"Max." Alec prodded her. "Come on."

She got up as if she were in a trance and followed the woman inside to where a body lay on a cold, metallic slab. She heard Alec's footsteps echo behind her.

"Here he is," Dr. Shankar said. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she mumbled. But something was completely wrong. The man that lay before her was Asian, with dark brown, almost black hair. His mouth was missing his teeth, leaving it strangely misshapen.

"Uh Max?" Alec said under his breath. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but on account of me being his clone and everything, shouldn't he look like me? Because if this is him, he either had a hell of a lot of plastic surgery – which I personally think goes way above and beyond the call for staying under the radar – or I'm going to be having a large affinity for rice real soon."

"How did he die?" Max asked the doctor.

"It's very strange. The neck was snapped, and the bruising indicates that it was done with just one hand, which is nearly impossible for a normal human being. Whoever did this must have been very strong. There are also scratch marks along the skin, indicating that the victim must have been running through some kind of brush. The body was found displayed against a rock outcropping with the shoulder twisted behind the back. The teeth –"

"Were pulled out," she murmured. She noticed the doctor's surprised look. "I hear they do that sometimes, so that the victim can't be identified using dental records."

"Yes, but usually they're just smashed. In this case, they were removed surgically. Almost as if the killer wanted to preserve them."

"_You understand the rules?"_

_The man nodded. "I make it to the perimeter fence, and I'm home free."_

"_Don't underestimate them," Lydecker warned. The man took off, and Lydecker started counting down. The group of X5 children were itching to get moving, muscles tense and ready to start moving at the signal._

"_3, 2, 1. Go."_

_They ran through the forest, gaining easily on the man. They evaded his attempts to slice them with his knife and knocked him down. Zack ripped his shirt open. _

"_He's a Nomaly."_

_A fury gripped them, and they started to kick and punch him, pulverizing the body. _

_They didn't stop until he was dead._

There was a commotion outside the room and Dr. Shankar moved towards it quickly, excusing herself.

"Max, what's going on? This clearly isn't Ben, so why does he have his barcode?" He took a peek at the back of the man's neck. "The barcode's new. Someone else lasered it on." Max's look remained vacant. "Max, what the hell is going on?"

"_We have to give our teeth to the Blue Lady," Ben instructed. "It's what keeps her strong. And then she'll be able to protect us."_

"Move out of my way doctor and don't make me order my men to restrain you," a voice said forcefully.

Her blood ran cold. _Lydecker_. Her legs didn't seem to be functioning properly and she just stood there dumbly until Alec grabbed her arm and yanked her into the small space the tray was supposed to go in.

"Max," he hissed again. "What the hell's going on?"

_Ben, what are you doing?_

* * *

As soon as Lydecker left with the body, they snuck out of the window. Alec was still staring at her questioningly, but all she did was shrug. Her pager wouldn't stop buzzing insistently at her hip, and finally she gave in and they made their way back to Logan's.

"What is it you need?" she asked tiredly.

"Max, look at this," Logan said, nodding at the screen. There was a picture of Ben's barcode on the back of someone's neck.

"You showed that to me already," she said, but dread was starting to fill her, anticipating what he was going to say.

"Another one of my contacts just sent this in from the morgue downtown. Body just came in an hour ago. So I did a little digging. Turns out there are men turning up dead all over the place – Chicago, Miami, New York – all with Ben's barcode. So far there are eleven in total. You want to tell me what's going on?"

She didn't respond, choosing instead to stare out the window. Alec answered for her. "Ben's the one killing these people, isn't he?" Both she and Logan looked at him. "It doesn't take much to put two and two together."

"Why is he doing this?" he asked, directing the question at Max.

"I'll handle it," she said, moving towards the door.

"You'll handle it?" His voice grew louder. "Max, there's an X5 out there running around _killing_ people!"

"I know that," she snapped. "I said that I'll handle it, okay? Get off my back."

Logan opened his mouth again to say something, but Alec shook his head. He followed her out, catching up to her before she got to the elevator.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"_We're_ not going anywhere," she said. "Leave me alone, Alec. I'll do this on my own."

Her attitude surprised him. "There's no way you're going to be able to take him down on your own." He instantly regretted the use of the words "take down", remembering that it was her brother they were talking about.

"I _said_ that I'll do it on my own," she repeated vehemently. She didn't want Alec coming along, didn't want him knowing _why_ Ben was killing all those people. Transgenic or not, if he knew that Ben was murdering innocent people because of some lady they made up when they were kids, he'd think he was crazy. Maybe he _was_ crazy. But he was still her brother, and she loved him. Having never considered his own unit family, she doubted Alec would understand that. Logan definitely wouldn't. They'd both probably think _she _was crazy to want to protect him. She'd find him, make him see that what he was doing was wrong. That way she'd be able to protect both him and whoever his next victim was.

"Max –"

"You wouldn't understand. Just please let me do this on my own, and stay out of my way."

"How do you know I wouldn't understand if you don't tell me? Just let me help you."

"Help me?" she shot back. "You can't even help yourself!" Shame coursed through her as soon as the words left her mouth, and all of the colour drained out of his face. She knew that he recognized the allusion to Rachel, and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She had never meant to inflict the pain that she did – she had simply wanted to push him away. She swallowed.

Well, she had definitely succeeded.

"Fine," he ground out, marching past her to the stairs. "I don't know why I give a damn anyways."

She resisted the urge to go after him, to say that she was so sorry. She wasn't even sure that it would make a difference if she did; she had struck low and she hated herself for it.

_Suck it up soldier_.

She had to go find Ben.

* * *

She sat in a pew at the back of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart church, eyes peeled for Ben. At first she hadn't been sure where exactly to start looking for him, but since the church's name had "Our Lady" in it, she thought it was definitely a place to start. She stared at a statue of the Blue Lady at the front of the church, remembering how much Ben had always believed in her. How much he had insisted that she would protect them. She couldn't believe how his faith in her had changed him into this killer.

She saw Father Destry watching her from afar. He had approached her before, asking if there was something troubling her. She felt like laughing at what she imagined his face would look like if she told him. _Well Father, I'm searching for my brother who happens to be killing people for a woman we made up when we were kids. Have you seen him around?_ She didn't think that would exactly roll off the tongue.

Her gaze returned to the statue. Finally she stood up and walked over to it, noticing a white cloth that was folded over at the base. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she reached out towards it and lifted the top. She sucked in a breath; inside was a collection of about a dozen bloody teeth. She hastily covered it back up and stepped back, collapsing on the pew.

_So I was right. Oh God, I was right. _

She sat there quietly for several more hours, eyes fixed on the statue. She was starting to wonder if maybe she was at the wrong place and that Ben had moved on to somewhere else when the door to the church clanged open loudly and a figure walked in. She took one look at him and knew immediately who it was – not only did he look exactly like Alec, but his walk was predatory.

He went immediately to the statue and bent his head, closing his eyes. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath until all of a sudden, his figure grew taut. He whirled around and their eyes connected.

Myriad emotions flitted through her as she regarded her brother: love, confusion, happiness, uncertainty. All she could manage to whisper was "Ben."

He looked at her carefully. "Max." He grinned crookedly, reminding her unexpectedly of Alec, but no – the look was different somehow. Ben's eyes were concentrated, but hiding at the corners there was a touch of wildness. It was so wrong; he had changed from the little boy he used to be into something foreign to her. She tried to look past that and see the Ben she remembered, the one who would scarf down his food in seconds and saunter up to the serving lady, pretending to have never gotten his share. But it was futile.

They were at a standstill, both watching each other carefully. She chose to speak first.

"Why?" she asked, though she knew the answer. "Ben, why are you doing this?"

He cocked his head. "You know why."

And then he was racing towards the door, slamming it before she could get there. She wrenched it open and scanned the surroundings, but she didn't see him anywhere. Sighing, she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked away, determined to find him again.

* * *

Logan sat in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. Max hadn't contacted him all day, and when he had phoned her place, Original Cindy had said she hadn't come home. He had tried calling Alec's cell phone, but he wasn't picking up either.

He knew Max was hiding something. He didn't know what she meant by saying that she'd "deal with it", but he was worried. He didn't know if she could – or would – stop Ben, and he couldn't keep letting him kill people.

He picked up the phone. "Sebastian? It's me. Look, I need you to track someone down for me. Name's Donald Lydecker."

* * *

Alec pulled onto the shoulder of the road and put the car in park, gripping the wheel of the car tightly. After his fight with Max, he had driven to the outer limits of Seattle, intending to leave the city. He had no reason to stick around if she was just going to be a bitch to him when he had only been trying to help. Besides, it was about time he got out of there – Lydecker definitely knew that they were still in the city, and he couldn't quite figure out why he hadn't come after them again since that time several weeks ago. But for some reason, he couldn't do it. As soon as he had gotten close to leaving Seattle, he had turned the car around and driven right back.

And he had no idea why.

He wasn't going to put up with her moods. And she had no right to mention Rachel – she had no idea what had gone down and what he had gone through. Those days after her death... his fists clenched. For once he had tried to do one decent thing in his life and be helpful, and this was what he got: her lashing out at him. Generosity was overrated.

Something was nagging at him, and he recalled the morning after he had helped her with her seizures.

"_I said that I don't want to talk about it, so can't you just leave it alone? God Max, do you have to get into everyone's business?"_

"_I'm just trying to help. It's obvious that something's bothering you, and since you helped me last night, I thought I could –"_

"_You could what? Fix me? Well, here's news for you Max. You can't just __fix__ everything."_

He had lashed out at her as well when she had tried to help him. So hadn't she done exactly the same thing when he had pressed about Ben?

God, it was at times like these that he wished Manticore had had communication 101. It would have helped a lot more if they could all learn to talk like normal human beings, instead of getting riled up at every other word.

Then again, it was probably because they _weren't_ normal human beings.

He sighed, and shifted into drive again, easing the car onto the road. Like it or not, he couldn't just leave. It made him feel like he was betraying her, just walking out without a backwards glance. And in all honesty, the thought of being in another city by himself made him feel lonely. He had grown to like Max's group of friends – Cindy, Sketchy, Kendra, Herbal, hell, even Normal and Logan. He could see why she hadn't wanted to leave in the first place. She had become too attached to her friends and he –

He had become too attached to her.

* * *

Lydecker entered a dark, small room and sat down on the chair facing the computer screen.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

Eyes Only appeared on the screen. "I wanted to know what you were going to do about X5-493."

Lydecker tilted his head. "I really don't see why you're so interested in my kids. I'm sure you're a busy man, just as I am."

"One of your 'kids' is murdering innocent people, so that makes it my business. You don't seem to really care about what he's doing."

Lydecker leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Is that what you think?"

"You swoop in and close the investigation every time."

"I'm trying to prevent exposure. Surely you can understand that," Lydecker responded.

"You should be more worried about Ben's next victim, not exposure. Because if you don't stop him, then I'll be the one to expose you. I'll blow everything wide open."

Lydecker tapped his lip contemplatively. "Ben, huh? You know his name, which means you're involved with one of my kids. I'm guessing it's Max, since she's the only one who's surfaced lately. Either her or X5-494. Which means that you're bluffing, because you wouldn't put her at risk. Expose Manticore, and I'll be the least of her worries. Let me tell you something about Max. You think she's not dangerous because she's pretty and acts normal? These kids were trained to kill coldly... efficiently... and happily. Whether she's inside Manticore or on the outside, nothing changes that."

"Ben's the one I'm worried about. Stop him... or I will."

The screen blinked shut.

* * *

Max walked up and down the street, wracking her brains trying to figure out where Ben had gone. She had returned to the church before to find out that Father Destry had been kidnapped out of the confessional, and now she was just trying to figure out what to do next.

"_Why didn't the Blue Lady protect Jack?"_

"_I don't know, Maxie. I'm going to the High Place to ask the Blue Lady."_

"The High Place," she murmured. Her gaze traveled up to the Space Needle.

* * *

"Logan, it's Beverly. I got the results back from the fingernail scrapings from the last body. They contained traces of magnesium nitrate."

Logan adjusted the handset against his ear. "Which tells us what?"

"It's a chemical used in fertilizer. There used to be an old factory south of town that manufactured it. It's near some woods, which could explain the scrape marks. Maybe that's where the killer keeps his victims."

"Thanks Beverly. Eyes Only appreciates this."

"No problem. Just to let you know though, Lydecker took off as soon as he saw the report."

"Got it."

He hung up and dialled Alec's cell phone again. It rang several times before someone finally picked up. "Yeah?"

"Alec. Is Max with you?"

"No. What's going on?"

"I think I know where Ben is."

* * *

Max hid behind the door of the Space Needle and leaped as soon as she saw his shadow, tackling him to the floor. She handcuffed him to a pipe.

"Where's Destry?" she demanded.

"Nice to see you too, Maxie."

"Where is he?" she shouted. "Ben, stop all this."

"Why? I'm merely doing what we were trained to do. What we were _born_ to do."

"What, perform amateur dental surgery? Somehow I must've missed that class."

He laughed to himself and she wrenched his head back. "Where is Destry, Ben?"

"Why are you so mad at me Maxie? You understand what I'm doing –"

"See, that's the thing. I don't understand."

"Don't tell me you don't remember that day."

She looked down, eyes darkening. "I don't want to remember."

"Because it scares you? Why are you trying to hide what you are Maxie? Trying to hide the fact that that was the best day of your life, that you wake up with your heart pounding in your ears."

"Shut up," she whispered.

"We're killers, Max, and that's the truth. You're lying to yourself if you think you're not."

She released her hold on him. "Is that what you want to be?" she said softly. "Is that the type of person you want to be, Ben? We may have been created to be killers, but that doesn't mean we have to be. Isn't that why we broke out in the first place?" She moved closer, running her fingers through his hair. "Look at me and tell me that you honestly want to be what they made us to be."

He stared at her and opened his mouth, but his voice faltered. Sensing that he was weakening, she pushed harder.

"That's why you give them your barcode, isn't it? You're killing yourself over and over again. You know this isn't right, and some part of you, the old Ben I used to know, wants it to stop."

He was trembling now. "I do it for her," he whispered.

"She doesn't exist," she said. She saw the objection in his face. "She doesn't," she repeated firmly. "If she was real, do you think that she would have let them take Jack? Kill Eva?"

"We weren't strong enough," he said, but he sounded less sure.

"Tell me where he is," she said gently.

He nodded and she helped him up.

* * *

Ben led her to an abandoned building at the south end of town. The moment she walked in she caught sight of the words "mission", "duty" and "discipline" spray-painted onto the wall. Her heart ached as she saw just how much control Manticore still had over him.

"Where?" she asked. He nodded over to a reinforced door and she yanked it open. Father Destry lay on the ground, eyes filled with terror. "Father, are you okay? Are –"

She grunted as Ben pushed her forward into the room and dragged Father Destry out, locking her in there. "Run Father run!"

Ben smiled lazily. "Yes, Father. Run."

They disappeared from her line of sight and she pounded on the door angrily. She heard the exit door slam shut and after searching around the cell, finally found a piece of metal to jimmy the door open. She tore out of there and blurred to the woods, stopping when she reached a clearing. She dropped to a squat, feeling the warmth of the ground to detect how long it had been since he had passed. Then she ran as fast as her legs would go.

She came to a stop when she reached another clearing and saw Ben standing there, a foot on his chest.

"Don't do this Ben," she pleaded. She had never wanted it to come to this. She had thought she could reason with him, but he seemed too far gone.

_Please don't make me have to choose between my brother and this man's life._

"I have to. It'll make her strong. This is for you Maxie. So that you finally understand what I'm doing."

Before he could move she rushed forward, yelling at the Father to run. She swung at him, but he met her blow for blow. A punch here and a kick there, but neither seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Finally, he kicked her against a tree, his foot landing against the wound on her stomach. The air rushed out of her lungs and she gasped to draw in a breath. He came at her again, but this time she caught his leg and hit it hard, right below the knee. He fell back, clutching his broken leg, and she ran to him. She could hear helicopters whirring in the distance, and knew it was only a matter of time before Manticore arrived.

Ben seemed to know too. "Please don't leave me here."

"I can't carry you. We'll both get caught." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She was strong, but carrying Ben would slow her down. And to top it all off, she wasn't in peak condition to begin with. There was no way they were both getting out of there.

"I know," he whispered.

She understood what he was saying and shook her head. "Ben, I can't. Please don't ask me to do this."

"You know what they'll do to me if I go back. They'll put me with the Nomalies." His voice sounded so childlike, and her heart broke. What this someone's idea of a cruel joke? For her to find her brother and then have to kill him all in the same day?

"Tell me about the Good Place," she whispered back. Her hand shook, and she rested it on the back of his neck.

"Where no one ever gets punished?"

"And no one gets yelled at." Tears were streaming freely down her face now. She couldn't do it. She _couldn't_.

But she was so scared. Manticore was getting closer; she could hear them in the woods now. And she was terrified of going back. The very idea made her want to run, run as far as she possibly could.

But Ben...

"And nobody disappears," he finished. He had an odd smile on his face, and this – _this_ was a shadow of the Ben she knew. "And when you wake up in the morning, you can stay in bed for as long as you –"

A snapping sound filled the woods.

* * *

Max ran through the woods as fast as she could, ignoring the scrapes from the branches that passed her. Tears were streaming down her face silently, making little pink track marks on her olive skin. She hated Manticore, hated what they had turned Ben into, but most of all, she hated herself.

"Max, turn left up there. We can cut through sector 5 and be at Logan's faster."

She nodded, flinging one hand across her face to brush the tears away. She couldn't believe what she had almost done. She couldn't believe she had even considered the _possibility_. She had been seconds away from doing what Ben had asked her to, from _killing_ him, when Alec had appeared, the loud snap of the branch he had stepped on catching her attention.

She had no idea how he had known where she was, or why he had come back for that matter. She certainly hadn't given him any reason to. But she was eternally grateful that he had. Between the two of them they had managed to help Ben up and move through the woods at a fast enough pace to get away. Ben had been completely confused at seeing Alec, but she hadn't had the time to explain. Not only because they had to get out of there, but because she didn't think she could look him in the eye knowing that she had almost killed him.

They finally reached the edge of the woods, and Max snuck a glance behind her, zooming in on the figures she saw at the other end. She saw Lydecker yelling at some soldiers, as well as a young Asian woman standing silently beside him. Something seemed familiar about her. She listened carefully.

"X5-734!" Lydecker said. "You were here first. Did you see the target?"

Max felt a sense of loss as soon as she heard the designation. _They got Brin._

She was still staring when abruptly Brin's eyes locked on hers. Brin's gaze never wavered from hers as she answered.

"No, Sir. I did not see the target or anyone else when I entered the clearing. He must have moved on before I could get here."

"Max, let's go," Alec hissed, and she broke contact with Brin. Despite the day's events and all of the emotional turmoil she had been through, a grin erupted on her face.

_She's still our girl_.

* * *

"Max," Alec said under his breath. "I don't think Logan's going to particularly appreciate that we're bringing a serial killer to his home."

She glared daggers at the words "serial killer", looking worriedly at Ben, but he seemed too stunned by Alec to care.

"You look like me." For a moment the shock totally erased the crazed look from his face.

"Yeah, understatement of the year," Alec muttered. The elevator dinged and they stumbled forward towards Logan's place.

"Who _are_ you?" he asked again.

"X5-494. My name's Alec," he said finally.

"They ... cloned us?"

"Yeah."

"Logan!" Max called. "His leg is broken. Do you have some medical supplies in the bathroom?"

"Whose leg is broken?" Logan asked, wheeling into view. He stopped short at the sight of the three of them. "Uh Max?" His voice was wary, and he gripped his wheelchair nervously. Ben, sensing his fear, observed him curiously, but made no move towards him.

Alec was equally tense. "Just so you know, none of us are particularly religious," he told Ben. "So... uh... we wouldn't be worthy of your lady person." At Max's look, he gave a little shrug, as if to say "I'm covering all my bases".

"Medical kit?" Max inquired again.

"Y-yeah. Left cabinet," Logan stuttered.

"I'll get it," Alec volunteered. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife, and he wasn't sure if Max and Logan were going to have it out. He definitely didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

Max helped Ben over to the couch, and laid him down gently. "You okay?"

He nodded. Max stared at him for a moment, trying to decide his mental state. It was disconcerting that one second he was acting wild and out of his mind, and the other he seemed perfectly sane. It made him totally unpredictable.

"Okay," she said, awkwardly patting his shoulder. She didn't know what else to say, and he didn't speak either. She chewed on the side of her lip, feeling a fresh wave of guilt. She had almost killed him. Not only that, but _he knew_ that she had been about to go through with it. What if he hated her? What if he hadn't expected her to actually give in to his wish? What if he had thought she would have gone back with him?

How could she ever make that okay?

"Max?" Logan looked tentative. "Can we talk for a second?"

She walked over to him. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. And I know this isn't exactly an ideal situation. But I didn't know where else to bring him."

"So you brought him _here?_ Max, I thought you said you were going to handle this."

"And I did," she insisted. "The guy Ben was going after is safe. No harm done."

Logan looked at her like she had two heads. "No harm done? Max, he's killed about eleven people! And judging by his broken leg, I take it he wasn't too responsive to stopping."

"Logan, I understand where you're coming from. I really do. But what did you want me to do? He's my _brother_. I can't just –" She stopped speaking, biting back the words "kill him". "I can't just abandon him. And I saved the innocent guy, so everything's good."

She turned her head to see what was taking Alec so long when she caught sight of a brown envelope lying on the counter. Curiosity took hold and she walked over to it.

"Everything's not _good_, Max. You brought a killer here. I get that he's your brother, but do you honestly think that just talking to him and explaining that he's been bad is going to change anything?"

She opened the envelope absent-mindedly, irritation gnawing at her. She fully understood Logan's point of view, but couldn't he try to see _her_ side just a little bit? She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but maybe with some counselling, or just spending time with Ben would show him that he had _real_ people he could trust and depend on instead of a figment of his imagination.

She had just been about to say so when her eyes flickered to the contents of the package, and she froze, her entire body going rigid. She slid several sheets of paper out of the envelope, hands trembling. They were pictures. Pictures of her and the rest of her unit completely covered in blood. They had cold, serious looks on their faces, ones no normal children would ever have. And the photos could only have come from one person.

"What is this?" she asked dangerously, showing the images to Logan. He paled visibly, and looked at her like it wasn't Ben he feared anymore, but her. "_What is this!_"

"I don't know." His eyes were wide. "I didn't even open the package. Bling must have brought it in earlier from the Eyes Only box."

"Lydecker sent these to you. You went behind my back and contacted him?"

He seemed to shrink under her gaze. "You weren't talking to me. I was worried."

"So you decided to have a nice chat with my number one enemy? Christ Logan, why didn't you just turn me over to him while you were at it?"

His mouth dropped open in shock and his eyes shone with hurt. "Max, I would never do that."

"Is this what you think I am?" She threw the pictures at him and they scattered, floating in the air like big snowflakes before coming to rest on the ground. "You're going to judge me by stuff I'd done when I was a kid?"'

"I didn't even look at them, Max. And even if I had, I know you're not that person anymore." Even as he said it, he seemed a bit uncertain. She hated the way he was looking at her right now. As if he were almost afraid of _her_. Like he thought she was going to attack him.

"I thought we were friends," she said quietly.

_We_ _are_,he wanted to say, but she was already gone. He looked angrily down at his useless legs, furious that he couldn't go after her and explain. When he looked up, Alec was watching him, eyes fixed on the glossy photos at his feet. He was expecting the other transgenic to say something, yell at him maybe, but instead he remained silent. Finally, Logan's hands dropped to the wheels of his chair and he pushed himself quietly past the other men into his room.

Alec looked first at the door that Max had gone through, wanting to go after her, then to Ben, who was studying him with disturbing fascination. He couldn't exactly leave Ben alone with Logan. He had no idea what he would do, and mad or not, he didn't think Max exactly wanted her brother to play dentist with Logan.

_This is what I've been reduced to. A babysitter for the mentally unstable._

_Great._

* * *

A/N: Well, this was a long one. I hope no one found this too repetitive of the actual episode at certain parts; however I think the added/altered scenes with Alec prevent that from happening.

Just wondering, who thought that Max had actually snapped his neck in the woods? I tried to keep you guessing.

Any feedback at all would be appreciated. I'm like the cookie monster, and reviews are my cookies. :P Though actual cookies wouldn't be bad either. Mmmmmm.... macadamia.

Alec's Angel – I'm glad you're liking Max a bit better. It's true that it made no sense for her to be better at fighting than Alec, Sam, etc when they had so much more training than her. Then again, she's a bit nicer to Alec in this story because they had met under different circumstances, and also at different stages in their lives. Thanks for reviewing!


	10. Pained History

A/N: I apologize for the horribly long wait. I'm extremely busy with school at the moment, but I will try to update as often as I can.

And for anyone who's interested, it is actually the ending scene in this chapter that inspired the whole story.

* * *

_You see, I'm the bravest girl  
You'll ever come to meet  
Yet, I shrink down to nothing  
At the thought of someone really seeing me  
I think my heart is wrapped around  
And tangled up in winding weeds_

_But, I don't wanna go on living  
Being so afraid of showing  
Someone else my imperfections  
And even though my feet are trembling  
Every word I say comes stumbling  
I will bare it all  
Watch me unfold  
Unfold, unfold_

_Unfold, Marié Digby_

The sudden silence in the penthouse was like a thick, smothering blanket. Alec rocked on the balls of his feet, still undecided as to what to do. Logan was quiet in his room, and Ben for once wasn't staring at him unnervingly, looking instead at something outside of the window. He was relieved to no longer be the focus of his attention until he noticed that the look on his clone's face was far too concentrated for just casual spectating. He crossed over to the couch and followed the other man's gaze, searching for what could possibly hold his attention so steadfastly. Finally, he caught sight of what had to be the object of Ben's attention. A young redheaded woman pushing a stroller several stories down had momentarily stopped at a traffic light, and the sun's blinding rays were reflecting off something shiny hanging from around her neck. Alec zoomed in and saw a cross dangling there. He sucked in a breath and switched his gaze from her to Ben, whose eyes had gone dark and – though his leg was broken – seemed about to jump off the couch and race out of there.

"Don't even think about it man," Alec said. Something in Ben's eyes flickered and Alec was rewarded with his partial attention. "You know this thing you have going on is sick, right? That you're killing people because of some 'lady'."

"You don't understand," Ben whispered. "She's the one who's always protected us. She needs to be kept strong."

All of a sudden Alec felt a wave of sympathy for him. He was so mentally screwed up it was almost pitiful. It was eerie looking into Ben's face and seeing his own staring back at him with a hint of craziness in the eyes. After Rachel's death, he had felt on the verge of losing his sanity. It had felt like he had been teetering on the edge of a precipice, ready to fall off with the slightest push from a wind. It had been only the soldier in him that had forced him to move on and not submit to it, and then he had found Max, and things hadn't been as bad. He now knew that if he hadn't been able to keep it together, he would look exactly as Ben did now.

"No, _you _don't understand," he replied. "You know it's wrong. But if you won't stop hunting people for yourself, or for the families you're destroying, do it for Max."

Ben finally looked him fully in the face. "I _am _doing this for Max. For all of us."

Alec pushed away the frustration that was quickly mounting inside him. "Let me tell you something about Max. She takes everything personally. You think you're helping her? You're _hurting_ her. You were killing people and she almost had to kill you to get you to stop. Do you have any idea what it's like –" He swallowed, suddenly feeling like his throat was closing up and he could no longer get any words out. "What it's like to have to kill someone you love?"

His words seemed to strike something inside Ben because he appeared to be considering them very seriously.

"Look man, whatever issues you have, just work them out. _Without_ doing the whole…uh… teeth thing. If you like them so much, become a dentist or something, okay?"

Ben's lips quirked to the side in the first mildly humorous expression Alec had seen on him.

"You've really got it bad for her, don't you?"

Alec blinked, not seeing where the comment had come from. The most intelligent answer he could come up with was, "What?"

Ben rolled his eyes, acting as if _he_ was the one who was crazy. "Max. You care a lot about her."

So taken off guard, Alec scrambled for a reply, resulting in him babbling incoherently. For the first time, X5-494 was flustered. "She's my friend," he said lamely.

"Yeah, whatever," Ben dismissed.

Alec glared at him indignantly. Who was he – the insane one – to tell him how he felt? He was perfectly aware of the difference between friendship and something more. And what he felt for Max was definitely friendship.

His mind wandered to the petite brunette, and he found himself thinking about her fiery temper, and how cute she looked when she was irritated. Her bottom lip would jut out in a little pout, and she'd take a stubborn stance, hand resting on the lovely curve of her hip.

Well, _mostly_ friendship anyway. But Ben was completely wrong.

_Right?_

* * *

"Explain to me again _how_ X5-493 slipped from your fingers, when you even had an X5 on your team?"

"X5-734 claims that there was no one in the clearing when she arrived. We must have just missed him by a few minutes." Lydecker cleared his throat. "We have to remember that X5-452 is probably helping her unit mate."

Renfro leaned forward onto her desk. "X5-493 is a serial killer. Do you honestly think that she would risk exposure by helping him?"

"You don't understand these kids."

She regarded him coolly. "So you keep saying. Well then, Deck, why don't you explain them to me?"

"They don't think of each other as just unit mates. They consider themselves family. They'd do anything for each other."

"Well, isn't that sweet. Let me tell you Deck, the Committee is seriously doubting your abilities. You screwed up with Unit 2, you screwed up with 494, you screwed up in Portland, with 493… my, the list goes on doesn't it?"

"493 is an anomaly."

"Oh, is he? And what about 494? Do you think he'll go insane as well? We can add that to your very impressive list of failures."

"I know what I'm doing, Renfro. Now, just let me do things my own way –"

"No, see that's where you're wrong. You're out, Lydecker. Manticore's done with you."

He stared at her in disbelief. "Those are _my _kids. Manticore is under my –"

"Manticore no longer has anything to do with you."

He gave a bark of laughter. "And now what? I suppose I leave and next week I'll conveniently be in a fatal car accident? I know how it works. I _run_ this place."

"_Used_ to run this place. Since the Committee's in a generous mood, you have until the end of the week to clear out your office. Now get out."

Scowling, he retreated to the door and stalked out.

_This isn't over, you prissy little bitch. Not by a long shot._

* * *

The mess hall was bright and noisy to the extent that you had to shout to be heard. Brin strode over to the line, got some of what was supposed to pass for food, and stood in the middle of the room, deliberating on where to sit. She scanned the room and finally her eyes landed on a face she recognized. She walked over to the table where the other X5 was sitting alone, and laid her tray down. The other female looked up.

"X5-734," she acknowledged.

"X5-798," she replied. After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Jace."

Jace's eyes flashed. "My designation is X5-798," she hissed. "There is no Jace. Do not call me that."

Brin's eyes dropped to her lap. So this was what had become of the sister they had left behind. A stone cold soldier.

"Sorry," she mumbled, sticking her spoon into the unappetizing mush in her bowl.

Jace ate the last bites of her lunch and stood up quickly. A young X6 racing his unit mate to the lineup accidentally bashed into her, and immediately Jace's hand dropped protectively to her stomach. Brin's mouth fell open slightly, and Jace caught her gaze, a nervous look now on her face.

The X6s mumbled apologies and went on their way.

"Are you… Jace, are you –"

Jace seemed to regain her composure. "I have no idea what you're talking about, 734." She picked up her tray and walked away.

The implications of her actions swirled in Brin's mind, and she couldn't believe it.

Jace was… pregnant?

* * *

Alec stepped out from Fogle Towers, hands shoved into his jacket pockets to keep warm. The temperature outside had dropped though the sun still shone brightly in the sky. He walked quickly to ward off the cold, thinking of the possible places Max might go if she was upset. He thought of Crash and immediately dismissed it. She wouldn't want to go to a place where she might run into someone she knew. She'd go to a place that was secluded and that she'd know was empty.

His eyes travelled from where he was standing up and father up until they were looking at the Space Needle. If he concentrated hard on blocking out the sun, he could almost make out a lone figure sitting on the edge.

Shoving his hands deeper into the folds of his jacket, he started walking in the direction.

* * *

Ben sat on the couch, his leg propped up uncomfortably on the table before him. He couldn't stop thinking about that redhead that he had seen earlier, the one who had been pushing the stroller. She would have been the perfect sacrifice for the Blue Lady. Small, pretty and a believer. A dark hunger rose like a tidal wave inside him, already imagining what it would be like to hunt such a worthy –

_You think you're helping her? You're hurting her. _

_You're hurting her. You're hurting her. You're hurting her._

The words kept echoing mercilessly in his head. He didn't want to hurt Maxie. He was doing this _for_ her. So that the Blue Lady would look out for her. But was his clone right? Was he just hurting her? He loved Maxie, but he hadn't seen her in ten years, and the man who shared his face seemed to know her pretty well. Maybe they were right. Maybe what he was doing was wrong. But he kept imagining the exhilaration of chasing after prey, of gaining and finally overcoming them, of –

No. He had to push the thoughts out of his mind. On some level he knew that they were so drastically wrong, that he shouldn't be thinking this way.

But it was so _hard_.

He needed a distraction. Something that would require his absolute attention. Something that would occupy his hands. Something like –

He spotted a knife lying on the kitchen countertop, and then the refrigerator next to it that must be full if it belonged to the rich man who lived here. His stomach grumbled.

Well, it was about lunchtime anyway.

* * *

Max sat atop of the Space Needle, eyes closed, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. It had been awhile since she had been up there, and it felt good to feel the wind whip through her hair while looking out at the ruined city. It made her feel… free. For a little while, she completely forgot that Manticore was still hunting her, that she had almost killed her brother. That Logan had betrayed her. It was just her and the sil –

"You come up here often?"

She whirled around, eyes open wide in alarm. "Where's Ben?"

Alec shrugged nonchalantly, making his way to where she was sitting. "At Logan's."

"You left them _alone?_" Her voice rose to a frantic pitch on the last word, and she was already half-rising from her perch.

"Don't worry. Ben's not going anywhere with that leg and besides – I let Logan borrow my gun just in case. Not that that's actually gonna be effective if Brother Ben wants to take him out, but it seemed to make him feel better."

She stared incredulously at him. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Let him borrow my gun? I know. It was hard to part with my baby but –"

"Left them alone, you idiot!"

"It's not my job to babysit him," he said sharply. "And like I said, he's not in any condition to be running around after people. Crazy or not, he knows that. So chill, Max."

She was rendered silent by the powerful tone of his voice, and remembered that he was a soldier, not only in training but in attitude. It had been so easy to forget that he had only recently left Manticore because during the time he spent with her, he acted more or less like any other guy. She snorted, thinking of his womanizing ways. Yeah, _definitely_ like every other guy.

He sat down beside her, and neither of them said anything for a while. It was Max who broke the silence first.

"Why did you come here?"

"Thought you might need someone to talk to."

The memory of what she had said about Rachel came unbidden to her, and suddenly she couldn't look him in the eye. That comment had been below the belt, and he hadn't deserved it. She let out a breath. She was just a train wreck today, crashing into every single person in her life and making sure that she hurt them to the fullest extent.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. She didn't elaborate and he didn't need her to. He knew what she was referring to. She snuck a peek at him and found that he wasn't looking at her, but out at the city.

_I've been saying sorry to him a lot lately._ And this was coming from the person who had previously said it maybe twice in her lifetime. She took it as a hint that maybe she should ease up on him a bit.

The stifling silence was back again and she squirmed uncomfortably, searching for something to say. She came up with nothing. She had said what she wanted to, and now it was up to him to continue the conversation. That is – if he ever wanted to speak to her again.

Just as the silence became unbearable, he opened his mouth to speak.

"You don't know what happened, Max. You don't know… how bad it was."

She nodded jerkily in agreement, and thought that was all he was going to say on the subject. Alec had never shared more than the vaguest details about the Berrisford mission, and she had learned by now not to press. But he surprised her when he opened his mouth to go on.

"My target was her father. Robert Berrisford. He was the CEO of Mercidyne and one of Manticore's subcontractors. Manticore wanted him on surveillance because he was asking questions that he shouldn't have been asking. I was supposed to pose as his daughter's piano teacher in order to gain access to their house."

The look on his face was faraway now, as he recounted what had happened.

"Her name was Rachel."

The gentle look on his face as he said her name made Max's heart constrict. He never looked that way at her. Never. But just saying Rachel's name brought out this whole other side of him that was completely foreign to her. She abruptly became aware of her thoughts and their jealous nature, but she was beyond caring. It bothered her that this girl had seen and known a part of him that she hadn't.

"She was beautiful, and smart and sweet. She loved her father more than anything, and I –" His voice faltered. "I loved her."

The words took her breath away. She turned her face in the opposite direction in an attempt to hide the turmoil that was probably evident in her features. She knew that it was silly to both envy and resent a dead girl but try as she might, she couldn't erase what she was feeling. It made even less sense because she and Alec weren't like that.

It was starting to dawn on her that maybe the reason she was so bothered was because she wanted them to be _like that_. Which was ridiculous, because it was _Alec_. He drove her up the wall every time he opened his mouth.

But then, why did him talking about Rachel hurt so much?

Alec seemed completely oblivious to what she was feeling. He was still speaking, a wistful expression on his face.

"Manticore never taught us about love, but I don't know how else to describe how I felt about her. She was just perfect. I mean – not in the physical sense, but her imperfections were what made her perfect. And I think… I think she loved me back."

She now wished she had never pressed for more information about Rachel. Each word felt like a knife to the gut, cutting her over and over again.

Alec's jaw clenched as he stopped talking. She could see how hard it was for him to tell her all of this. Transgenics were never good with talking about their feelings. Then again, she never imagined how hard it was to listen.

"I remember the day she died. Manticore decided that Berrisford knew too much, or at least suspected it, and they ordered me to take them both out. I planted the bomb under the car… but I couldn't do it." His voice broke, and he inhaled sharply, seeming like he was trying to ward off tears. "I couldn't do it, Max. She was an innocent. She didn't deserve to die. So I tried to warn her. Told her not to get in the car. But she wouldn't listen unless I gave her a reason, so I told her the truth."

Max looked at him in surprise. The most important thing on missions was to not blow your cover. Do your job and get out. He must have deeply cared about her if he had risked everything to save her.

His facial expression changed slightly, becoming a little bit darker. "I told her who I was, why I was there. And the look she gave me… she hated me. She was completely disgusted with who – what – I was. What I am. And I think I finally realized something." Pain laced his next words. "She didn't really love me. She loved Simon Lehane. She loved the person I was pretending to be. And even if somehow she could have managed to work past that, to love just me, it wouldn't be real. She could never fully understand what I am."

"Like Logan," she said bitterly. "If he wanted to know about what I did in my past, he could have just asked me. Not gone to my worst enemy."

"And you would have told him?" he asked skeptically. "Let's face it, Max. Neither of us is good with this whole communication thing. And look, the guy's not exactly my favourite person – kinda boring and all that – but I think you should cut him a little slack."

Her eyes got round. "_You_ of all people are defending Logan?"

He held up his hands in defense. "Like I said, ordinaries can't understand us. But you should be thankful that at least he's trying. Most people would probably be running in the opposite direction if they knew what we were, not trying to figure us out."

"I guess." She didn't sound too convinced. She wrapped her arms around her knees again, thinking about all that he had revealed to her. She found herself again at a loss for words. What was she supposed to say? _I'm sorry? I wish she hadn't died?_ It was horribly cruel and selfish of her, but if Rachel had lived, then Alec would probably never have run away and she would have never met him. Just trying to imagine what her life was like before they had met was like grasping at a dream that was impossible to reach. He had integrated himself so fully in her life, that the idea of going to work or Crash and not seeing him there seemed strange.

She stared at his profile, having the impulse to reach out and smooth away the lines of pain that still resided there. So much pain from having killed the one he loved. Would she have felt like that if she had ended up killing Ben?

"Why Max, I think that's the most concentrated look I've ever seen on your face. Don't hurt yourself with all those heavy thoughts." The tease wasn't delivered with his usual sharp wit, which only served to stress how much the conversation had affected him. "What are you thinking about?"

"None of your business," she said automatically. She chastised herself for acting like a bitch again, and quickly amended her answer. "It's nothing."

He moved over a little closer to her and let his legs dangle over the edge of the Space Needle. "Come on, Max. Looks like today's all about sharing."

She averted her eyes and stayed silent.

"Max," he encouraged.

Her resolve broke and she found herself whispering the words, as if the soft tone could make the meaning behind them less harsh. "I – I wanted to do it."

"Do what?"

"Kill him." Now that it was out in the open, she wished she could snatch the words back. "I mean… I didn't _want_ to, but between that and going back… I panicked. God, my own brother, Alec. I was so fucking afraid of going back that I almost killed my brother because of it."

He shrugged. "Basic instinct to look out for number one."

"Not in our family," she disagreed. "Back at Manticore, we were always looking out for each other, Zack the most. He'd take the fall for us when we got in trouble. Eva would always hold back in sparring sessions with Jack. And Ben…" She smiled. "Ben would always tell us the most fantastic stories about the world outside."

"Sounds nice."

"It was. Manticore was still hell, but at least we were together. And I –"

"Don't," he interrupted. "Quit blaming yourself. Ben's fine. You've got to stop taking everything on yourself."

"But –"

"Just stop it." He laughed harshly. "Look at us. We are two severely screwed up people. Well, technically I guess we're things, or animals maybe…"

"No. We're people. That was the whole point of getting away from Manticore. So that we could mean more than just a number."

"Right." He paused, and finally the Alec she knew reappeared. "You do realize I'm charging you for all this therapy?"

She unconsciously leaned towards him and tilted her head to the side. "In money, or something else?"

The words had come out of her mouth before she knew what she was even saying, and she jumped to her feet in horror. He had just spent the whole time talking about how much pain he had gone through after losing Rachel, and here she was saying things like that. _Stupid, stupid Max. _

"I've gotta blaze." She was already several feet away before he had the chance to open his mouth. "I… uh, better go check on Ben."

And then she was gone, leaving a bewildered Alec staring after her.

From the roof of a dilapidated building across from the Space Needle, a figure watched the scene that unfolded with focused, serious eyes. Then as silently as a ghost, they turned and walked away.

* * *

A/N: I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but after a lot of editing, I still couldn't get it right, and I figured I may as well post it and see what you make of it. I hope Max and Alec's characterizations weren't too messed up. I tried to keep them in character during their discussion, but at the same time I wanted to show their vulnerability. Not completely sure if that came across. Anyways, drop me a line and let me know what you think! :)


	11. New Kid on the Block

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. School is driving me insane.

4ever Max & Alec – OH MY GOD. YOU'RE RIGHT! Haha I could've sworn I had a scene where Alec found out why Ben was pulling out the teeth, but I must've forgotten about it. I'll have to edit that sometime in the future. Thanks for pointing it out! :)

* * *

_But you, you're the only one that ever got me  
and you, got me feeling like that  
and you, like a bullet in my heart  
that shot me right down, boy  
and I can't get enough of that_

_I don't know what it is that you do to me baby  
if you knew would you tell that you feel the same way that I do_

_Like a Bullet, Eva Avila_

The sound of something hitting something solid made its way through Logan's bedroom door. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he nudged his door open slightly, poking his head out warily. Ice settled in his veins when he caught sight of Ben standing in his kitchen, a gleaming knife clutched in his hand. He hastened to close his door tightly, but Ben's voice stopped him.

"You hungry? You've been hiding in there for a couple of hours."

The X5 shifted slightly to the left, revealing a couple of sandwiches sitting on the counter. "Found some stuff in your fridge. Lettuce, tomato and salami. You want one?"

Logan stared at him cautiously, eyes still trained on the knife. "You cook?"

"Making a sandwich ain't exactly rocket science. Besides, I _do _have to eat, and people don't always do the trick."

Horror shone in Logan's eyes and he rolled uneasily backward. Ben gave him a droll look.

"Joke," he pointed out. "Jeez, would you relax?"

"How can I, when you've killed people?" Logan shot back. He knew he was treading on dangerous territory; the X5 could kill him in a matter of a second if he became irritated, but he couldn't help the comment.

Ben's eyes seemed conflicted, and he averted his gaze. "Yeah, well… it was a joke." Still not looking at him, the transgenic took hold of a sandwich and held it out towards Logan. After a moment of hesitation, he took it.

"Thanks," Logan said awkwardly. He inspected it, debating whether Ben might have put something fatal in it. Deciding that if the transgenic were going to kill him, he would have done it already, he took a small bite, chewed and then swallowed. "It's not bad."

Ben's lips quirked to the side. "Considering the fact that we never had culinary 101 back at Manticore, just be glad it's edible at all."

"I thought that they designed you to be perfect."

"Cooking ability doesn't really factor into the assassin part of the job."

Logan thought about this. "What if you were posing as a chef, and had to give someone salmonella? Bam. Death by pasta."

Ben gave a low chuckle. "Now there's one that the tactics trainers missed."

Logan took another bite of the sandwich, chewing contemplatively. He certainly wasn't comfortable around Ben, but he wasn't as terrified as he had been before. He studied the other man and immediately noticed differences between him and Alec. Ben had circles under his eyes and a striking pallor, as well as a predatory look brimming beneath the surface. He was still without a doubt appealing to women, but Logan didn't think Ben oozed the same charm that his clone did. It was the haunted look that put people on edge, warned them that something wasn't quite right.

That he was a killer.

Suddenly his gut twisted, and the sandwich didn't taste as good anymore. He put it down on the counter and moved a bit away. He couldn't help his reaction. He had made it his life's work to take down people who committed crimes, and here he was eating with one.

"Thanks for the sandwich."

Ben seemed to understand the reason behind his apprehension. He nodded, polished off his own sandwich, and moved away from the other man. Logan watched him limp over to the couch, putting his weight on his good leg, and plopping down on it unceremoniously.

Logan sighed, putting the dirty plates in the sink. He just hoped that Max's other siblings weren't like Ben. Tinga had seemed normal enough during the short time that he had met her. Then again, he was starting to learn that there was a lot more to theX5s than what they projected outwardly.

* * *

She felt like smacking her head against a brick wall. What kind of normal person would make such a suggestive comment to someone who had just poured his heart out about his dead love?

Maybe that was the problem. She wasn't _normal_.

She grunted in frustration, and after checking her watch, wished that someone would just kill her right then. Work had started several hours ago; if Normal hadn't already fired her, she was in for a massive bitching out. There was no way she could go though – Alec had probably already made his way there, and there was no way that she could face him at the moment. Her face still flushed every time she thought of what she had said.

"_In money, or something else?"_

It was just that he got under her skin, drove her insane, made her feel things that she never knew existed…

So what did that mean? That she liked him? And if so, to what extent? What did it all _mean_?

This time she actually did stop and banged her head against a streetlight, shooting dirty looks at whoever stopped to stare. Before Alec crashed into her life, things hadn't been so complicated. A little B & E, jobs for Logan, chilling with her crew at Crash… men had never been a problem. She kept them at a distance, unless she had had an itch to scratch, but then _she_ was in control.

She pushed off from the streetlight, taking a breath to collect her thoughts. She couldn't see Alec right now, so where was she going to go?

_Oh, shit. Ben._

She couldn't believe she had completely forgotten about her brother. Her brother who was currently staying in a penthouse with –

_Logan!_

* * *

She rushed into the penthouse, scanning frantically for Logan.

"Logan!"

"He's in his bedroom." She sighed with relief when she spotted Ben sitting on the couch, seeming relatively sane for the time being."

"How are you?" she asked slowly, perching on the edge of the couch.

"Peachy."

"Seriously, Ben."

He focused his hazel eyes on her. "What do you want me to say, Max? That I'm a homicidal maniac? Do you think I don't know?" His eyes shimmered, and he blinked rapidly. "I know it's wrong. But I just can't – I can't…" He gasped, putting his head in his hands. "Nothing makes sense, Max. I can't make myself stop."

"You can," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. A tear trickled down the side of her face, landing on his cheek. "I'll help you. I promise, Ben. I'll always be here for you."

"You should have done it," he whispered back. "You were going to. I would have been better off."

"No, you're wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She clutched him tighter.

"Sometimes, I know exactly what I'm doing, and I don't care. I _want _to do it. And others times… I just want to stop."

"We'll figure it out, 'kay?" She smiled into his hair. "Bet you can't believe that your little sis kicked your ass."

He gave a choked laugh. "Rematch, Maxie. We're having a rematch."

She checked her watch again, cringing at the time. It would be a miracle if she weren't already fired.

"Work?" he guessed.

"Yeah. Don't want to go just yet though." She squirmed at the thought of running into Alec. She stood up, and her eyes landed on Logan's door. "Be right back."

She almost walked right in, and then remembered how he hated it when she just appeared out of nowhere without warning. She stopped herself and knocked on the doorframe.

"Can I come in?"

Logan opened the door wide, seeming surprised that she was standing there. "You're asking?"

She shrugged. "Decided to switch it up a bit." She walked in and leaned against a wooden dresser. Looking around, she realized she had never been in his bedroom. It was nice – tidy, with elegantly crafted furniture. It had barely any personality to it though. No personal touches, no photographs. His computer desk seemed more utilized than his room. The thought made her slightly sad.

"Max, I'm sorry." He wheeled towards her, face remorseful. "You were right. I never should have gone to Lydecker."

"You asked me what was going down, and I didn't tell you. Partly my fault too, I guess." She sighed. "Logan, the reason why I don't tell you everything is because straight up? You're just not gonna understand. And some smartass told me that that's okay, 'cause at least you're trying. Maybe he's right. But you're my friend, Logan, and I just need you to accept that I can't tell you everything."

She had hesitated on the word "friend" before deciding that it fit. Maybe a long time ago there had been something there between them that could have grown into something more, but it was gone now. And what remained – the friendship portion – seemed just as strong.

"I know that, Max. I just wish it were different." He smiled at her. "But I'll try."

She returned the smile, her eyes flicking to the clock that sat on his night table. _Crap. I'm so fired._

He seemed to read her mind. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

_I really, really don't want to go._

"Yeah, I guess."

_No. Come on. Don't make me go._

"Well, I'll see you later then?"

_What if I just stay here? I'm probably already fired anyway._

"Hmm."

"Max?"

_I wonder if he has any Eyes Only jobs for me. Then I could go find the douche bags, smack the crap out of them, not go to work…_

"Yeah, I'm going."

_Damn_.

* * *

Alec hung up his leather jacket in his locker and slammed the door shut, frowning when it refused to stay closed. He hit it a couple of times to try to get it to stick to no avail. Finally, after looking around casually, he applied a little more force and got it to shut. Shaking his head, he headed over to the dispatch center for a package.

"Golden Boy! Where's Max?"

He shrugged. "Got me, Normal." His boss walked away, muttering under his breath.

He didn't know why Max hadn't shown up yet. She had to know she was seconds away from being fired. Maybe she had gone to check on Ben. Or maybe –

He remembered the way she had leaned forward and tilted her head coyly at him. She had been so close –

He abruptly broke off from his thoughts. So close to what? He and Max were friends, nothing more, nothing less. Two people thrown together by coincidence.

_Right, and that's why you haven't left Seattle yet._

Alec shoved the package into his backpack and headed out back to grab his bicycle. He leaned over to unchain it from its post when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, warning him of danger. He turned around with unnatural speed, but he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the hand shoving him up against the wall, pinning him there. He tried to see who it was, but the sun was blinding his eyes. Clutching at the assailant's arm, he used as much force as possible to push it away, but the other person was unwavering.

He struggled to suck in some air. "Who the hell are you?"

"What are you doing here, Ben?" the person hissed.

Alec squinted, trying to block out the sun, and saw a muscular blond man in his early twenties standing there, a hard look on his face. He had cold blue eyes that currently looked like they were penetrating straight through him.

He fidgeted this way and that to break loose, but that only served to make the man apply more pressure on his throat. "Not… Ben…" he wheezed.

The blond man frowned. "What kind of game are you playing at? Ben, have you completely lost your mind?"

"Well, now that you mention it, he kind of has. But I'm not him!"

"God, what happened to you? I leave you for a couple of months, and you start killing people? Don't think I don't know about what you've been up to, Ben. You're leaving a huge trail for Lydecker to find you. You might as well just turn yourself over to him if you're going to do this!"

Alright, so Blondie had to be one of Max's siblings if he knew Ben. Great.

"Ben! What the fuck are you doing?"

Alec shot him an offensive glare and shifted a bit so that he was able to speak. "Do I _look_ like I know the first thing about amateur dental surgery?"

The man's lips pressed together in a tight line. "Alright, so if you're not Ben, who are you?"

"I'm Alec. X5-494. Check my barcode if you want."

The man studied him and then roughly turned him over. Alec forced himself not to reflexively attack the guy and stood still while he wrenched down the collar of his shirt.

"494," the man muttered.

Alec was released from his hold for a second before being slammed back into the wall.

"What are you doing here? Did Manticore send you?" he said harshly.

Alec fought hard not to roll his eyes. Was this going to happen every time he met one of the 09'ers?

"I asked you a question!" The man shoved him roughly and he winced slightly.

_Are all 09'ers homicidal? I know we were trained to be assassins but this is getting ridiculous._

"No, Manticore didn't send me. No, I'm not going to try to bring you back. No, I'm not lying. Have we covered everything?" he drawled.

The man looked at him suspiciously. "Then why are you out of Manticore? I'm guessing that they're not letting you have a vacation unless things have changed since my day."

"Screwed up my last mission, and since I kind of like being alive, I bailed."

He was really going to have to make a recording or something. How many times was he going to have to repeat the same thing?

"Just like that?" The doubt was evident in the X5's tone.

"Do _you_ like being shot?"

His sarcastic response obviously wasn't appreciated as the man lifted his hand again – probably to hit him. His eyes darkened, and he pushed the man with tremendous force, causing him to teeter backward. Blurring around him, he kicked the man's legs out from under him, snarling as the guy jumped right back to his feet and came at him, fists swinging. He blocked the hits, and this time it was _him _who shoved the guy against the wall. Alec didn't think Max would appreciate him beating up her brother, but he was getting nowhere with this guy.

"I _knew_ it," the man hissed.

"Knew what? I already told you I don't work for Manticore. I just don't really enjoy getting slammed into a wall."

The man glowered at him, but he couldn't get out of his grasp. Alec wasn't screwing around anymore – he was getting really tired of everyone trying to beat him up.

"You got a name? Cause if not, I guess I can just call you Blondie."

"I'm not telling you anything," he growled.

"Blondie it is."

"Alec! What the hell are you doing?"

He turned his head slightly, spotting the brunette stalking towards him with an unhappy look on her face. "Hey Max." He noticed the change in demeanor in the man, his eyes conveying a look of shock and something soft.

"Are you insane?" she hissed under her breath, not knowing that the man could hear every word she was saying.

"Yeah, been asked that a lot lately. You know, Maxie, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your brothers not to kill me. It hurts my feelings."

An odd look crossed her face. "Ben tried to kill you? But I was just –"

He shook his head. "Not Ben. Blondie over here."

She looked at the man he was pinning to the wall for the first time. "What are you talking about?"

Finally, the man spoke. His tone was quiet and cautious. "Max?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? Do I know you?"

A look of awe shone on his face, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He tried to contain it, but it broke through the surface anyway. "I can't – Tinga told me but… I thought she was – you…" He struggled to form a coherent sentence. "You're alive," he said simply.

Her brows knit together and she stepped forward, studying him more closely. Alec finally let go of him, and she reached out to touch the hard line of his jaw, which made him flinch for a second. Alec ground his teeth, for some inexplicable reason irritated that she was standing so closely to him.

After another moment of observation, her mouth broke out into a wide smile. "Zack."

"Yeah." Some emotion stirred behind Zack's eyes, but Alec saw that he was working to keep them under control. "Maxie, I'm so sorry."

Alec bristled. _Maxie?_ _He _called her Maxie. That was _his_ nickname for her. Not Zack's.

He watched Max frown. "Sorry? Why?"

"I should have known you'd be strong enough to survive. That you'd make it out. I should have looked for you after the escape, should have been there to have your back." He hung his head. "But Jondy sounded so sure that you went under the ice."

She touched her brother's hair. "I'm alright. Everything worked out." She hugged him, and Alec didn't miss the look of relief in Zack's face. He caught him watching the exchange, and immediately Zack's face hardened, hiding any emotion. He pulled back from the hug, eyes still trained carefully on Alec.

Max saw the look. "He's okay, Zack. You can trust him."

"How do you know?" He didn't bother to hide the open hostility. "He can be feeding Lydecker information about you."

"He's not," she insisted. "He helped Tinga escape."

"Doesn't mean he didn't have his own reasons for it."

"Zack, please." She decided to change the subject. "How did you find me?"

He gave Alec a look and then switched it to her. "Tinga called me, told me you were in Seattle. I didn't believe her at first. So I came to make sure, but then I heard about all the murders…" He trailed off, suddenly unable to look her in the eye.

Max seemed to understand. "You thought it was me."

Zack shook his head violently, the sun's rays catching on his flying hair and turning them golden. "Just for a second! I thought – I don't know – maybe you made it out but you lost it because you were all alone… you always believed in the Blue Lady stuff. I guess all of us kind of did."

"But not as much as –"

"Ben," he finished. "I knew it didn't make sense. You would never do something like that. So, I checked in with all the others, and I realized he wasn't where he was supposed to be. I tracked him, and I saw the two of you on the Space Needle. I wasn't sure it was you, and I didn't get it because I knew you wouldn't go along with what Ben was doing." His gaze moved back to Alec. "I guess _he_ explains it."

"We stopped Ben, before he –" She cut off abruptly. "Before he did something stupid. He's at a friend of mine's."

Zack looked at her sharply. "_What_ friend? You told someone who you were?"

She pursed her lips. "We can trust him."

Disbelief settled across his features. "You seem to say that about everyone, Max. Did you forget that we're not safe, no matter where we are? Is he another rogue X5 or an ordinary?"

"An ordinary." Her voice had an edge to it, one Alec recognized. It crept into her voice when she was irritated.

Zack's steely gaze matched her own. "Great. And I bet he just _loves_ the fact that you're a genetically engineered killer."

"Not all ordinaries are bad, Zack. Some understand. Even after everything Cindy has been through –" Too late Max saw her mistake, and Zack inhaled sharply and started pacing.

"So not just one ordinary, but two?" He turned away from her, deliberating, and then he strode forward and took her arm. "Alright. You've already been here too long. It's about time you got out of here anyways."

She wrenched her arm out of his hold. "Got out of here? Zack, this is where my life is. Where my friends are."

"Friends are liabilities. And they'll get you killed." His expression left no room for argument, but she stepped back.

"I'm not leaving."

"I gave you an order, Max. I'm trying to do what's best for you." He glared at Alec. "I can get you out of here. _Alone_."

"You're not my C.O. anymore, Zack."

"_Someone's_ got to tell you what to do. You're obviously not thinking properly. Where's your training, Max? Did you forget everything?"

"No, but I'm trying real hard." Her look softened for a moment. "You're still back at Manticore, Zack. We escaped for a reason – so that we wouldn't be under their control. Seems like you still are."

His mouth twisted regretfully. "I can't help you if you won't listen. I just don't want to see you end up back there."

Something was niggling the back of her mind. "Brin. Brin's back there."

A pained look came over his face. "I know."

"Who's Brin?" Alec interjected.

"My sister," Max responded, just as Zack said "None of your business."

"We need to get her out of there."

"No."

She stared at him in incredulity. "She's our sister!"

"She willingly turned herself over to Lydecker. She made her choice."

"You don't know what the circumstances were! We can't just leave her there!"

"I'm not going to sacrifice the rest of us for some half-assed rescue attempt. We try to get her out, we risk handing over a couple extra X5s in the process."

"We can't just do nothing!" Her eyes were blazing, her fists tightly clenched at her sides.

"Max, maybe he's right." Alec stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

"You could all end up captured. I get that she's your sister, but you'll be trading three lives for one," he said.

"It doesn't matter! That's what family is for, Alec." She shot Zack a look. "We help each other. You're telling me if I got caught, you'd just leave me there?"

His jaw clenched. "Don't say that, Max. Don't turn this around."

She tensed and then slumped, all the fight gone out of her. Her face was one of sadness. "I didn't think we'd fight when we saw each other again."

Zack looked off in the distance. "I can't help who I am, Maxie."

A heavy silence hung in the air, until Zack stepped towards her and hugged her stiffly. "The offer still stands. I'll be in town for a couple of days. If you change your mind about leaving, let me know." He handed her a slip of paper. "And tell Ben to come and find me. I need to talk to him."

He started to turn away, but stopped. "You."

Alec mockingly looked around for anyone else in the area, and pointed a finger at his chest, mouthing _Me?_

"If you hurt my sister, I'll kill you."

"Nice to meet you too, Blondie."

Alec could see he was pushing Zack's buttons, as he received a murderous look. Zack cast one last look at Max, and there was a glimpse of vulnerability in it as he let his guard down slightly.

"I missed you, Maxie. I'm glad you're okay."

"Right back atcha."

Zack nodded, turned and walked off down the street.

"Well, isn't he a ray of sunshine?"

She turned to face him, face completely serious. "We're going to get Brin out."

He started to shake his head. "Max, no. It's too –"

"I'm gonna do it with or without your help, Alec. You're either coming with me or not."

"And what about Ben?" he challenged. "You gonna leave him alone here to chase people around like Happy Meals?"

She wrinkled her nose. "What's a Happy Meal?"

He rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Point is, where exactly is he going to stay?"

"At Logan's."

"Great. Yeah, I'm sure Logan's going to be receptive to _that_ idea."

"Fine. Then you can stay here." She started to walk away. He let out a huff of exasperation and then ran to catch up with her.

"If I get shot, so help me God I'm gonna kick your ass."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's all for today, folks. I'll try to crank out the next chapter as fast as I can.


	12. Mission Impossible

Disclaimer: Dark Angel and all of its recognizable content do not belong to me. The lyrics to "Just the Girl" do not belong to me either – that is property of The Click Five

A/N: Hey everyone. I deeply apologize for the amount of time that has gone by since I've updated, but I'm absolutely swamped with work. I've got dozens of summatives for school and then exams right after, but I'll try to update as soon as I can after this.

* * *

_She can't keep a secret  
For more than an hour  
She runs on 100 proof attitude power  
And the more she ignores me  
The more I adore her  
What can I do?  
I'd do anything for her_

_Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else  
She's a mystery  
She's too much for me  
But I keep comin' back for more  
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for_

"_Just the Girl", The Click Five_

"Do you think you can draw an accurate map of the facility? We need to know all of the possible escape routes, where the cameras are, where –"

"I don't think we should do this, Max."

She stopped short, one hand resting on the scroll of paper she had just laid on the table. "You just said that you'd help me."

He let out a breath, running his hand through his hair nervously. "I know I did, but I don't think it's a good idea. Think about it Max. What are the chances that we're just gonna waltz in there, grab your sister, and walk right back out with no problem? With the way our luck goes, we'll probably get caught the moment we make it within 20 feet of the place, with me getting shot somewhere along the way."

Her face hardened. "I said before that you don't have to come with me."

He matched her look, leaning forward on the table intently. "What am I supposed to do? You're hell-bent on going off on a suicide mission. Maybe you've been out too long, Max. Manticore isn't some candy store that we're breaking into. It's locked down tight, with one of the most elaborate security systems in the world. They catch us, and you can kiss your freedom goodbye. They'll torture you and turn you back into the soldier you were." His mouth twisted. "They'll screw with your mind in Psy Ops –"

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "I haven't forgotten what it's like back there. But it doesn't matter. You don't leave a unit member behind, no matter what."

"What's the point if you end up dying in the process?"

Her expression remained stony. "Then I'll just have to make sure I don't die."

He exhaled sharply in frustration and walked away from her, closing his eyes to calm himself. She was so impulsive, clinging stubbornly to an idea once it had entered her mind with no intent to let it go.

"Like I said before, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. And maybe you're right – maybe I will get caught. But I need to at least try." There was silence for a moment, and then her words came again, but softer.

"I know I was the one who asked you to stay, but if you don't want to deal with this anymore, then I'd get it."

He turned around to face her once more, eyes trained on her face, noting the gentle curve of her lips and the contrast of their pink colour with that of her rich caramel-coloured skin. Maybe a long time ago he'd have packed up his things and left, gone off on his own. He had always been one to do things solo. But the thought of being alone filled him with emptiness, and the thought of leaving her made him feel even worse. Leaving no longer seemed like a viable option.

He made his way back to the table, picking up the pen that lay next to the paper. "I'm not going anywhere," he said gruffly, and he began to draw.

* * *

"I see most of your stuff is packed up. Good."

Lydecker did nothing to disguise his hatred for her. "Don't think you're going to get rid of me so easily."

Renfro laughed. "Oh really? And what exactly are you doing to do, Deck? Hmm?" She stepped closer to him, her lips curving into a malicious smile. "Once you get out of here, you better hope you've remembered some of the escape and evade tactics you taught your precious 'kids'. Because let me tell you… you're going to need them." She cocked her head to the side. "Or maybe I'll give you a one week grace period, just because you _have_ been a part of the Manticore project for so long."

"Why don't you just kill me right now?" he challenged. "Oh, that's right. You're a sadistic bitch."

"Ma'am?"

A male X5 with pale ivory skin and brilliant red hair stood at the doorway, looking unsure as to whether it had been a good idea to interrupt the conversation.

"Yes, 324?"

"Ma'am, I was just wondering when X5-604 was going to return from his diagnostic tests. It's been several days, and I felt that as his C.O., I should –"

"Not now, 324," she interjected, casting a sharp look in Lydecker's direction. "I'll speak with you later. I have business to do right now." She walked out, leaving the X5 and Lydecker in the room together.

Lydecker's brows puckered as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Renfro had obviously not wanted him to know about whatever was going on with 604. And 604 was… Kavi, he remembered. One of Unit 2, recaptured during the escape and reindoctrinated.

"324," he called out as the transgenic began to leave. "How long has X5-604 been missing?"

The X5 looked conflicted. "With all due respect, Sir, I don't think that I'm supposed to disclose this kind of information to you."

"My last day isn't until tomorrow, which means I am still your Colonel. Answer the question."

"It's been 6 days since I've seen him last. I thought it was a bit strange for him to be gone for so long."

"All right, soldier. Dismissed."

Lydecker tapped his fingers on his desk, and then started down the hallway to the testing room. He slammed the door open with a bang, startling the few scientists that stood just inside.

"What kind of tests have you done on 604?" he barked.

Every one of them remained silent, discomfort evident in their posture. They were probably trying to decide the lesser of two evils: Renfro's wrath or his.

He decided to give them a little encouragement.

He withdrew his gun and held it at point-blank range. "Don't make me ask you again."

"The director had us do a full DNA work-up," one of them said. "Among some other tests."

"Why?"

The man shrugged. "We don't ask questions."

"And where is he now?"

"Not in this facility."

Lydecker's eyes narrowed. "What is he doing somewhere else?"

He was met with silence once again until he prodded one of them.

"He's dead."

The Colonel lowered his weapon, eyes closing in disappointment. "Damn her."

* * *

Several days later, everything was set. Max had somehow coaxed Logan into agreeing to let Ben stay at his place for a couple of days. She had also talked to Ben, feeding him some flimsy excuse about needing to get out of town for a few days to relax. She knew quite well that he could see straight through the lie, but she didn't want to tell him the true nature of their plans. She figured that anything that had to do with Manticore wasn't good to bring up around him, and luckily, he chose not to ask questions. She had also given him the slip of paper that Zack had handed her, to which he had looked at shamefacedly and pocketed, mumbling that he didn't want to talk to him at the moment. The night before, she and Alec had done some recon, so it seemed like there was no reason to wait any longer.

It was now or never.

She and Alec had gotten on their motorcycles, attached their rucksacks to the back, and were now cruising down the nearly empty road in pure darkness towards Wyoming. Her body was tense, knowing the challenges that awaited them, but as they drove further with the wind whipping at their hair and the powerful thrum of the engine between their thighs, she started to relax slightly, relishing the vastness of the open space around her.

She looked to her side and saw that Alec has the same peaceful expression on his face. She felt content at the fact that he seemed to share her sentiments, seeming to enjoy simply being on the road, with nothing but them and the path that lay out before them. He must have felt her gaze because he turned his head to return her stare. The situation at hand must have returned to his mind because his face tensed into a grim expression.

She looked down at her dashboard, and seeing that the gas was getting low, she signaled to him, indicating the problem. He nodded, gesturing to a sign that they had just passed which said that a pit stop was coming up in a couple of miles. They kept their eyes peeled for the turnoff, and soon they were at a small restaurant with a gas station just beside it. They quickly filled up their bikes, and then stepped into the restaurant for a bite to eat.

Max smirked. The one good thing that good ol' Deck had taught them was that an army marches on its stomach.

"Yes," Alec muttered.

"What?"

He pointed excitedly at the menu. "They have pie."

She rolled her eyes. "Men."

He looked affronted. "Is it wrong to appreciate a good piece of pie? It's damn hard to find nowadays. And it's a hell of a lot better than the crap they gave us at Man –" He checked himself. "Mantia Coro."

"Mantia Coro?" An elderly man sitting near them frowned in concentration. "Is that in France?"

Max glared at him while Alec pursed his lips awkwardly. "Uh, yeah man, it is. Don't go there. The food makes mush look appetizing."

The man nodded absently, seeming to have forgotten about them already.

She slapped Alec's arm. "Way to go, moron. For all we know, someone in this place works there."

"Relax. The old geezer thought it was in France, for God's sake." He sauntered up to the waitress and gave her a charming smile. "Can I have two apple pies please?"

The waitress flushed deeply, hastening to fill the order. Max scoffed, giving the young woman the most unfriendly look possible.

"Wow Max, do you think you can freak the poor girl out any more?" Alec whispered under his breath. "Try not to look so… like yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said indignantly. The girl handed the plate to Alec, and Max picked up a nearby fork and moved to dig in. He stepped back swiftly, holding the plate away protectively.

"What's your deal? Gimme," she ordered. He shook his head.

"These two are for me. Go get your own."

She threw her hands up in exasperation at his childish antics, stomping over to the waitress and ordering another piece. A moment later, she plopped down on a bench across from him, eating enthusiastically. They were done within minutes, and after stalling for a little while longer, they both recognized that it was time to go. Still, neither made a move to get up.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I have to, Alec."

"Then I've got your back."

Her hand was lying next to his, the skin on the palm of his hand just barely touching the front of her own. Hesitantly, he clasped her hand in his, giving it a soft squeeze. Max held her breath, not knowing what to do, until finally he let go and stood abruptly.

"We should get going."

She blinked, and then stood as well.

"Let's do this."

* * *

"The X5 barracks are here," he instructed, pointing to a spot on the map. "So we should enter from here." He pointed to another area. "We're gonna need someone to get through the doors though, because you need a clearance to open them."

"Then we grab Brin, and we get out."

He looked uneasy, staring at the massive grey building that lay just on the other side of the fence they were kneeling next to. Both of them were decked out in full camo uniform to blend in with their surroundings, standard black military boots on their feet.

"I hope it's that easy," he said. "When we get in there, you head straight for the barracks, because you know what she looks like. I'll go in the opposite direction and cause a diversion if you run into any trouble. If everything goes according to plan, we'll meet back here at 0400." He fiddled with the black piece in his ear. "Check your com."

She tapped her ear, and then walked a distance away. He said something into his own and she returned. "Yep, we're good."

"Alright." He took a deep breath and pulled out a gun, tucking another into his waistband. He pulled out a third and handed it to her, but she shook her head.

"Just take it, Max."

"No." She shuddered with revulsion. "I hate guns."

"Take it," he said again, more forcefully. His tone left no room for argument. "If we're going in there, you're going to need everything you've got. I'm not letting you go in there unless I know you're armed, and knives can't always do the job fast enough."

Reluctantly, she took it from him, eyeing it with distaste. Satisfied, he backed up a few feet, and then blurred full speed ahead, jumping the fence effortlessly. He landed on the other side without breaking his stride and before they knew it they were already racing soundlessly inside. It wasn't the getting into the building that was hard; Manticore wasn't so concerned about people getting inside, especially with the fact that they had hundreds of genetically engineered killing machines at their disposal. It was the getting out part that was the most difficult.

Once inside, he held his gun tightly in his hands, closing his mind against the memories that were assaulting him. It didn't matter how long he had been out of Manticore; the horror that he had experienced there would never just go away. He saw that Max was just as antsy as he – she was looking around with wide, fearful eyes.

"Max," he whispered. "You okay?"

She nodded, and they came to the section of the hall that branched off in two directions. He motioned that he would go to the right, while she would head down to the barracks and find Brin. With a feeling of dread, they separated, and he headed down his corridor to where the nurse's office was. After he felt he had gone far enough, he stopped, and waited.

Waited for Max's signal, waited for them to be able to get out of there…

Waited for it all to blow up in their faces.

* * *

Her hands shook as she crept down the hallway, remembering the way her 9 year old self had marched up and down it with her unit, devoid of any emotion, any personality. It was eerie being here. All she wanted to do was run in the other direction.

There was a slight shuffle to her right and she immediately blurred, knocking the person unconscious. Seeing that it was a security guard, she patted him down until she found a clearance card and swiped it in the door in front of her. She padded quietly through the hall, counting the doors until she came upon the barracks Alec had said belonged to the X5s. She noted that it was in a different location than it had been when she had been there.

"What are you doing here?"

She whirled around at the strong, male voice and gasped when she caught a glimpse of the man.

"Zack?"

But of course it wasn't Zack. Zack was in Seattle. Zack had refused to come.

This was someone else. His clone.

The man eyed her suspiciously. "453 is on a deep cover op. Which means…"

He moved so quickly she didn't know what he was doing until too late. He slammed his palm on a red button on the wall beside the door and it started to close. An alarm started to sound, a blaring siren that rang in her ears. He launched himself at her, and she barely managed to evade his blow when he ran towards her again.

"Shit! Alec!"

She looked in panic at the door, which had just fully closed. Her breathing was labored, and she saw Zack's clone preparing himself to rush at her once more.

"Help."

* * *

"Max? Max!" he yelled into the com. All he heard were grunts and yelling, and then other people's voices joining in in the background.

He blurred down the hall, heart thumping erratically as he made his way towards her. Just as he got to the intersection between the exit and the hallway to the barracks, a hand stopped him.

"Get out of here." Alec's mouth dropped open in disbelief, seeing Lydecker standing in front of him. Instinct told him to take him out, grab Max, and get the hell out of there, but there was something odd in the Colonel's expression.

"Did you not hear me, soldier? I said get out of here. There's nothing you can do for her now."

"You're wrong. I'm not just going to leave her here." He stared the man down. "Get out of my way, or I'll move you myself."

"There's already dozens of people in that room, not to mention several X5s. You're good, 494, but not that good. Get out of here. I'll take care of Max."

He frowned. "Why the hell are you trying to help me?"

Lydecker's expression settled into one of anger. "Because Renfro thinks she can run things around here. Thinks she can just throw me out whenever she wants, do whatever she wants with my kids. Payback's a bitch."

Alec had no idea who he was talking about, or whether to trust him. But he heard the boots thumping against the hard, polished floor down the hall, and he had to admit to himself that Lydecker was probably right, that he wouldn't be able to take them all on. Still, his mind rebelled against the notion of leaving Max.

"You can't help her!" Lydecker insisted, about to grab his arm but refraining at the last second, probably seeing the dangerous glint in the X5's eyes. "Listen. You get out of here, you can regroup and come back for her. You get caught…" He let his words trail, letting Alec draw his own conclusions as to what the consequences would be.

The thundering sound of footsteps was now making their way towards them. Alec's heart was beating erratically, and clenching his fingers in a tight fist, he made the hardest decision of his life.

He walked away.

* * *

Alec blinked the rain droplets out of his eyes, flicking his sopping wet hair to the side as he ran quickly down the sidewalk. To his right, someone else ran at the same feverish pace and with the same determination.

"Do you think… do you think they put her in Psy Ops?"

Alec clenched his teeth in anger at what he had done, and sped up his pace. He wanted to blur at full speed, but there were still ordinaries on the streets despite the bad weather, and the last thing he needed was for someone to be suspicious of him.

"She's okay. She's gotta be okay." This was the mantra that he was running over and over in his mind, trying to convince himself that it was true and failing miserably.

After he had gotten out of the base, he had hidden Max's bike in the woods and drove like hounds from hell were chasing him back to Seattle. He had barged into Logan's penthouse, intending to get the slip of paper Max had given Ben. Ben had immediately sensed that something was wrong by the look on his face, and had insisted on going along with him.

And of course to top it all off, it was raining. What kind of day would it be if it wasn't?

"This is it," Ben said. They entered a small tattoo parlor, with a door indicating lodging at the back of the room. They ascended the stairs quickly, scanned the door numbers and finally stopped in front of one with chipping wood and faded red paint.

Alec rapped loudly on the door, and received no answer. "Blondie! Open up!"

Slowly the door opened and Zack stepped into the doorway with a scowl on his face. He did a double take when he saw that there were two of them, and after a moment of concentration, his steely gaze settled on Ben.

"Why did you bring _him_ here?"

"I need your help," Alec cut in.

Zack crossed his arms over his muscular chest and leaned against the doorframe. "That so?"

All it took was one word to get his attention.

"Max."

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone liked this. Sorry that it's a bit on the shorter side, but it was the best I could do.


	13. Bringing it Home

Disclaimer: Dark Angel and any of its original plot/characters/dialogue do not belong to me. I'm just having fun. There are a few small sections where a couple of lines from the episode "AJBAC" are used; those as well do not belong to me.

A/N: WOOHOOO! EXAMS ARE OVERRRRR! I AM FREE! Sorry about the delay, but I wrote an extra-long chapter to make up for it. We're in the home stretch now. There's just another chapter to go after this. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. :)

* * *

_How many really know what love is?  
Millions never will  
Do you know until you lose it  
That it's everything that we are looking for_

_So every time you hold me  
Hold me like this is the last time  
Every time you kiss me  
Kiss me like you'll never see me again_

_Like You'll Never See Me Again, Alicia Keys_

"We need to get her out. We can't afford to waste time. Who knows what they're doing to her?"

Zack took a predatory step forward, anger written in his eyes. "Why the hell did you let her go back there?"

Alec's eyes flashed. "I didn't _let_ her do anything. Max does what she wants, never mind what I say. It was either let her go alone, or go with her."

"Yeah, and you were a tremendous help," the X5 said sarcastically. "She got captured anyway. It was probably your plan all along. Pretend to help her get Brin out, turn her over to Manticore, and then come back to get us so that you can turn us over too."

Before he knew what was happening, Alec had slammed him roughly up against the wall, eyes blazing. Zack aimed a punch at his head, but he ducked swiftly and returned one of his own, throwing him to the floor.

"You think I wanted to leave her there?" he snarled. "I had no choice. But don't you fucking say that I turned her over to Manticore, because I would never do that."

Zack leaped to his feet, a number of emotions flitting across his face: extreme rage, doubt, and finally something akin to respect. His eyes dropped to where Alec's fists were still clenched, no doubt ready to throw another punch at his head if he so much as implied that Alec was the enemy.

"I'll get her out of there on my own if I have to. But I thought you might want to have a hand in this, judging by how Max goes on and on about how her family would do anything for each other. But maybe you're just more of an asshole than she remembered."

This time it was Zack's turn to get defensive, though he remained at a careful distance from the other man. "I thought I lost Max to Manticore before. I'm not going to let them have her."

"Me neither," Ben added, a determined look on his face. "Manticore's taken a lot of things away from us. They're not going to take Maxie."

Zack nodded abruptly. "We can't just go in there half-cocked. We need a sound plan, and as much ammo as we can get. We'll also have to deal with the cameras, but I don't know exactly how we're gonna do that."

"Don't worry about that. I know a guy we can trust."

Zack's eyes narrowed. "Is this guy one of Max's ordinary friends that she had been talking about?"

Alec moved toward him, making sure he was being clear that he had no intention of attacking him. "Look. You don't trust me. That's fine. I personally think you're a prick, so you're not exactly my choice partner either. But if you're going to keep questioning my judgment, then we're gonna have a problem. We're going up against Manticore, and I need to know that you're not going to be fighting me every step of the way."

Zack sighed, running a hand through his golden blond hair. "Fine," he said gruffly. "But if you call me Blondie one more time, I may have to kill you."

Alec gave him a lopsided grin. "I'd love to see you try."

Before the two could get into another argument, Ben hastily stepped between them.

"Zack, don't you think that we might need more people to work this? We're going to get Brin out at the same time, right?"

Zack frowned, staring at Alec as he thought.

"Let me guess," Alec said. "Deciding whether or not you should risk the family reunion in case I turn into the Big Bad and turn you all over?"

Zack glared at him, but he seemed to reach a decision. "I'll get in contact with the others; see who can make it here in time."

He pulled a phone out of his jeans pocket and walked a distance away. Alec rolled his eyes.

"He always this uptight?"

Ben shrugged. "Zack's always taken the responsibility of taking care of us seriously. He doesn't let himself relax because if anything ever happens to us, he blames himself."

Alec pursed his lips, mulling over what Ben had said, and found himself feeling sorry for the other man. He had been C.O. of his unit, and knew what it felt like to have that responsibility. Every time one of his unit members had been hurt, the guilt had lain with him.

His thought shifted to Max, and the guilt he had multiplied tenfold.

_I'll get you out of there. I promise._

* * *

Her head was pounding, as if a sledge hammer was being repeatedly whacked into it. She tried to open her eyes but shut them quickly at the blinding light. She groaned, rolling over onto her back, and assessed herself with her eyes closed. Her shoulder was dislocated, and her right wrist was probably sprained, but not broken. She forced herself to open her eyes again, and judging by the bruises that were only starting to form, she hadn't been out very long. All in all, she could have been worse off.

Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she found that she was in a small box barely large enough to accommodate her whole body. Her heart pounded wildly, as she slapped at the walls of her prison.

_Isolation_.

She had hated it as a child and liked it no more as an adult. She pounded her fists against the walls again, fighting down panic, willing herself to breathe more slowly.

She didn't know if Alec had gotten captured as well, but she was betting that he had made it out. The guards had only been focused on her. He'd come back for her – she knew he would. He wouldn't leave her here.

Then again, she had never been one to play damsel in distress.

She punched the wall, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Let me out of here Lydecker! I know you're there!"

A moment later, one of the walls opened outward and she jumped to the floor, the rough impact jarring her sore limbs. However the person who stood waiting for her wasn't the pepper-haired middle-aged man she had been expecting to see, but a petite blond woman.

"452." The woman stepped forward, and Max knew instantly that she was going to hate her by the look on the woman's face. "I'm Director Renfro. Colonel Lydecker is no longer with us. Actually, his last day is today. So I'll be the one to deal with you."

Renfro began pacing around the room. Max noticed that she wasn't without bodyguards – 4 armed men in each corner of the room and what looked like an X5 near the door.

"You've caused us a great deal of trouble, 452. We've been looking for you for 10 years, but you've managed to give us the slip every time. You'll imagine how happy we were when you came straight to us."

"So glad I made your day."

"You know what would make me even happier? If you would give us the location of 494 and the other X5s who escaped in 2009."

So Alec _had_ made it out.

"Sorry. You guys must've whacked me on the head a little too hard, because I can't remember anything."

Renfro chuckled. "I wonder if this sarcasm all of you '09ers seem to have was accidentally written into your genes, or you came about it on your own."

"I doubt the good ol' scientists that cooked me up had very good funny bones."

"Fine. If you don't want to tell us where they are, we have other ways of making you talk."

"Oh Joy."

"Take her to PsyOps," Renfro ordered. The X5 came towards her, and she resisted the urge to fight. Even she knew the odds were stacked against her. She had a better chance of making a break for it with only ordinaries around.

She growled as the X5 grabbed her roughly, but followed him out the doors and down the hall into another room. A man immediately held a gun to her head as she entered, daring her to move, but she stood still, waiting for her chance. Memories of time spent there assaulted her mind, and she stared at the bed where she remembered being strapped down screaming and kicking. She wouldn't let them brainwash her into being a good little soldier. Not again.

The door closed and the minute she heard the X5's footsteps fade away, she leapt into action, slamming her elbow into the gunman's face and grabbing his weapon. She ignored the crawling feeling she had just from holding the gun, and dismantled it quickly, blurring to the nearest technician and knocking him out. Before she could move on, a stream of electricity shot out at her, bringing her knees to the floor. She grunted in frustration and tried to get up, but her body was spasming violently and her feet couldn't find purchase on the ground. She bit back a cry of anger at herself when she heard the door open, figuring it was reinforcements to strap her in. A second later, several bodies crumpled to the floor, and someone was walking towards her. From her vantage point, all she could see was their black shoes, and then something hit her head and everything faded to black.

* * *

"I managed to pull up a layout of the base, which should help. I also was able to hack into their system's mainframe, so I was able to get into their camera feed. I figure once you guys are in there I can loop it so that it doesn't show anything out of the ordinary."

Logan swiveled around in the lopsided chair they had found in the warehouse they were currently in to find Zack staring at him.

"Great, Logan," Alec said. "Any chance you can track the military convoys entering and leaving the area? They might have figured out that we'd come back for her and moved her somewhere else."

Logan bit on the pen between his teeth as he typed. "I'm working on it."

"How did some rich guy like you learn how to hack into things so well?" Zack asked.

Logan half-expected Alec to reveal that he was Eyes Only, but he said nothing.

Logan shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just a guy who got tired of yachts and the social scene where everyone backstabs everyone else, so I invested my time and money elsewhere."

"How did you meet Max?"

Logan smiled fondly. "She broke into my apartment, trying to steal a statue of Bast that I had."

"And you didn't report her to the police?" Zack was – for once – surprised. "Are you crazy?"

"That's what I said," Alec added.

A rap sounded on the large door of the warehouse. Two knocks at first, then three more quickly.

"It's them," Zack said. He opened the door, and a dark blue sedan drove in.

"Hey big bro!" A long-legged redhead jumped out nimbly, swinging her arms around Zack's neck quickly in a hug. "'Bout time we had a damn family reunion. We would've gotten here faster if Zane didn't get such a crap car."

"Hey!" A man of about Zack's height with shaggy brown hair followed leisurely. "I rebuilt good old Delilah here from scratch, and she's working fine."

_Delilah?_ Alec mouthed to Ben. Ben rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, you two. During the whole fricking drive, all you've done is argue, and I swear if I hear another word I'm gonna clock both of you."

"Hey Syl," Zack greeted.

Two more people came out, one Alec didn't recognize but who had similar features to Max, and another he did know.

"Hey Tinga," he called out.

"Alec," she responded. She looked surprised when she saw the figure standing next to him. "Ben?" She approached cautiously, offering him a small smile. "How are you doing?"

Alec saw Ben scowl, probably realizing that Zack had told them of his "condition" when he had called them. A moment later he relaxed, giving his sister a sheepish look.

"I'm… well, I'm alright for now. Getting Maxie and Brin out is what's important."

She wrapped him in a small hug and he returned it.

"Tinga? What are you doing here?" Zack frowned in confusion. "I never called you, and I only gave Zane everyone else's locations so that he could pick them up."

"Heard through the grapevine that we're busting Maxie out, so I thought I'd tag along. Max saved my life, my family's life. It's time to return the favour."

"Through the grapev –" He grit his teeth. "You guys have been in contact with each other?"

She gave him a blank look. "Zack, did you honestly think that we wouldn't be able to figure out that your password to the contact line was Max's, Eva's, and Jack's designations put together?"

The glower she received clearly indicated his answer.

"You're not coming."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because this thing could go sideways. And I really don't want to have to explain to your kid why his mommy isn't coming home."

"Max risked her life to save mine –"

"Max had nothing to lose! You do. I told you years ago to leave the kid with your husband, and you said no. If you're risking your life to be with them, you might as well not increase every chance of getting yourself killed."

Alec put his hand on her shoulder. "He's probably right, Tinga."

She ducked her head. "I'm not leaving. I'll stay in the van and be Control."

"Fine."

The redhead strode up to them, stopping only inches from Alec's face.

"Uh… hi?"

Her delicate nose wrinkled in concentration. "Man, this is crazy. I can't believe you look exactly like Ben."

"Yeah, really crazy. Do you always get this close to people when you're talking to them?"

Tinga chuckled. "That's just Jondy being Jondy. She doesn't exactly know the definition of 'personal space'. Or of subtlety."

Alec raised his eyebrows. "'Jondy'? How'd you come up with that?"

Zane burst out laughing in the background and she whirled around to glare at him. "Back when we were at Manticore, Jondy overheard the guards talking about a 'John Doe' that they had found. Since she probably had way too much earwax to hear properly, she thought they said 'John Dee'."

"Shut up asshole. At least I didn't name my freaking car 'Delilah'!"

"Guys, can it." Zack ordered. "What did you bring that we can use?"

The guy who looked like Max held up an AK-47. "Got a couple of these, but I'm low on ammo."

"Great, Krit. We'll track some more down. How about you, Syl?"

"Russian-made RGN-3s, fragmentation pattern explosion."

Zane whistled. "Sweet. I've got a few more grenades in the back of the truck as well."

"Let me guess? Explosives expert?" Alec said.

Zane nodded. "Syl's the best at target range, and Dee's good with knives. Krit was field med, and Tinga…" He smirked. "Tinga just makes sure we don't kill each other."

Tinga rolled her eyes and smacked her little brother upside the head. "I was usually in charge of recon, and Ben was the best hunter."

They all shifted uncomfortably at that last bit. "How about you?" Jondy asked him.

"Me? Well, Max would say that I excel at being a smartass, but other than that, probably hand-to-hand."

Jondy grinned. "Just like Max. No wonder you like her."

Syl elbowed her sister in the gut, but Alec's face was already flushing. He mumbled something incoherent and turned away to assemble the rest of the weaponry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jondy plop herself down on a chair opposite from Logan, and laughed inwardly. The vivacious redhead was sure to overwhelm Logan.

"So you're the genius."

"I'd hardly call myself a genius. I just have a lot of time on my hands."

"Huh. So you're Max's friend?"

"Yeah. We met about a year ago."

"Man, Maxie sure knows how to find all the good-looking ones," Alec heard her mutter. She bounced up suddenly, deciding to help her brothers with getting everything in order.

"She always that… energetic?" Logan asked Zack.

He pursed his lips in a shadow of amusement. "Jondy's a handful sometimes. But if you piss her off, she's downright scary."

Alec grabbed a gun and handed another to Zack, who accepted it with a nod.

"We should probably head out in an hour or so," he told him.

_We're coming Max. I just hope you're okay. _

* * *

For the second time that day, Max woke up in a box. But it wasn't a figurative version; she was actually enclosed in a cardboard, standard issue, honest-to-God _box_.

"What the fu –"

She punched through the top and spilled out onto the backseat of a car where there were other smaller boxes.

"I see you're awake."

That voice. The voice she heard in her nightmares, the one that had always terrified her.

This time she wasn't terrified. She was extremely _pissed_.

"A box?! You put me in a fucking box?! Is this some new torture tactic that you guys have invented?"

Lydecker looked at her quickly before returning his attention to the road. His shoulders were tensed as if afraid she'd attack him while driving.

"Sorry about that, but it was the only way to get you out."

"Get me –" It was then that she realized they were outside the facility, and judging by the environment, outside Wyoming. "Where are we? What are you doing with me?"

"I got you out of Manticore."

Her ears couldn't be working properly. Or maybe she had been bashed in the head one too many times. He couldn't have just said that he had _gotten her out of Manticore_.

"What?"

"I'm not going to let that bitch do to you what she did to Kavi."

"Kavi?"

There was just too much going on in her brain. She couldn't make sense of anything.

"She killed him. I don't know why, or what she's up to, but Manticore isn't what it used to be. I'm not going to let her pervert it. And I'm sure as hell not going to let her hurt my kids."

She looked at him oddly when he said "my kids", deciding that she preferred it when he was out to get her as opposed to this watered down, bad-guy-gone-good, paternal version.

"So… what? Your revenge is to shove me in a box and help me escape? How did no one notice you lugging around a massive box anyway?"

He laughed quietly. "It was my last day. I packed up everything in my office. People just assumed it was my chair in there." He checked his watch. "Won't be long now until they discover you're gone. It's been less than an hour, and I didn't have much time to hide all the bodies very well."

"She's going to kill you for this."

"She's going to kill me anyway. Or at least she's going to try. She thinks it'll be funny to let me have a week of freedom and then come after me. She just doesn't know the joke will be on her."

As if on cue, his phone started to ring. He flipped it open, and Max could hear the female voice screeching on the other end.

"You return her and maybe we'll kill you quick."

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it Renfro?"

"I swear to God Deck, you won't last another day. We're going to hunt you down, and then you're going to wish you _had_ agreed to bring her on your own terms."

"You're never going to get her back. She's not going to die, just like Kavi did."

There was silence on the other end. "You found out about that, did you?"

"I'm betting the Committee didn't order that, which means that you're acting on your own. What are you up to, Renfro?"

"You should be more worried about yourself, Lydecker. You stole from Manticore. That won't be forgiven."

"Then I should probably tell you that I also stole the Manticore-issued automatic stapler shouldn't I?" He laughed into the phone. "You're screwed just as much as I am when the Committee finds out you let an X5 escape the facility in a _box_."

"We're coming after you. You're a dead man."

He flipped the phone shut and crushed it against the dashboard, destroying the signal. Then he threw it out the window.

"What's your big endgame, Lydecker? I highly doubt helping me escape is enough to make you all creepily giddy like that."

"I have an idea that I think you would be amenable to. You wouldn't have to worry about Manticore anymore. You wouldn't have to keep running."

She paused, allowing her curiosity to overcome her.

"I'm listening."

* * *

A loud rumble was all the warning that they got before an SUV burst through the warehouse doors. Each X5 trained a gun on the car but lowered it as soon as they saw who was coming out.

"Max!" Jondy shouted, her face lighting up with glee. "How did you find us?"

"Called Original Cindy. Said there was a party happening around here."

Max walked towards all of her siblings, hugging each in turn. She smiled at Logan and finally came to a stop in front of Alec.

"Max," he breathed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I left you there. I just –" He struggled with the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "I was worried about you."

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze, much like he had in the diner the other night. "I'm okay."

There was so much more he wanted to say but didn't know how to voice, and he found himself feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious, especially in front of all of her siblings. So he just found himself squeezing back, and she returned to the car.

"I brought a present," she called over her shoulder. She reached into the car and pulled a blindfolded person out of the backseat. She yanked the cloth off of his head and in that moment every body in the room tensed.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Syl drawled.

"Why is he here Max?" Zack asked, hand clutching his gun tightly.

"He had an idea that I think we should all listen to."

"I'm not trusting a single thing that comes out of his mouth."

"He knows a way to take down Manticore," she countered.

Zack shook his head in aggravation. "This is insane. We've been fine just by blending in, staying under the radar."

"Always running, always waiting for Manticore to catch up with us. What kind of life is that? We have the chance to take them out, to live the lives we've always wanted without being afraid of it all being taken away."

"Maybe you're right," Syl said. "But how do you know this isn't some plan to get us all captured?"

"He helped me escape," Max responded. "Plus, his head's on the chopping block. He doesn't have a lot of options." She jerked his shoulder. "Isn't that right Deck?"

"Renfro – the new director – she's something else entirely. She's up to something, and I have no idea what it is, but it's not good. Manticore isn't what it used to be."

Zane snorted. "Right. Because it was such a fine establishment before."

"I understand you kids have reservations about the place, but –"

"Reservations?" Ben pushed his way to the front of the group, his eyes ablaze. "You tortured us. You – you…" He hung his head. "Look what you did to me."

"Ben…"

"What's this idea of yours?" Krit asked.

"After you guys escaped in '09, Manticore almost went under then. 12 escapees couldn't be tolerated, and the project was almost terminated. Imagine what would happen if you took out the DNA lab. They wouldn't be able to create a new generation of soldiers. Funding will disappear, and Manticore will come to an end."

"Maybe we can do it," Krit said slowly.

"Yeah. Then we can live like normal people," Jondy agreed.

"I don't like it," Alec and Zack said at the same time, looking in surprise at the other for having agreed.

"I don't like it either, but we don't have a choice. It's the only way we'll really be free," Max said.

Zack loomed over Lydecker menacingly. "You even _think_ about double-crossing us, and you won't make it two steps."

"Got it," Lydecker said gruffly.

"Krit, Syl, go find a van we can use," Zack ordered. They nodded and disappeared.

"How exactly are we going to get into the DNA lab?" Alec asked. "Gotta figure they yanked your clearance when you became Public Enemy Number One."

Lydecker reached into a pocket and took out a small container. "I stopped by an old friend while Max was still out."

Realization dawned on her. "You had this planned for a while, didn't you?"

"A soldier is always prepared in case the unforeseen happens."

She shook her head in disbelief. She had to hand it to the guy – he was craftier than she had expected.

"Get over here. We need you to tell us what kind of resistance we're expecting, and where exactly they're located," Zack commanded Lydecker.

"Max?"

She turned to see Alec nudging his head towards outside.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Yeah."

Jondy leaned her head down next to Tinga's. "How much you wanna bet they're gonna start smooching outside?"

Tinga laughed, cuffing her sister on the back of her neck much like a cat would to her kittens.

"Get to work, little sister. We leave in an hour."

* * *

They sat together on the Space Needle, knees barely touching, the wind blowing their hair around wildly.

"You don't think this is a good idea," she stated.

"I don't. But you already knew that."

"Why not? Alec, you've been out less than a year. You don't really know what it's like to be constantly watching your back for over ten years. This way, everything will be different."

"I know that. But Max, you're not thinking about the casualties. There's no guarantee everyone's going to get out of this alive."

Her eyes were downcast and she hugged her knees tighter. "I know that. But we have to hope for the best."

"When have you ever been one to hope for anything?" he teased lightly.

"We need to do this. Not just for us, but for everything – everyone – we lost. For Kavi. For Eva, and Jack." She was quiet, and then added softly, "For Rachel."

That was exactly the problem. Rachel had died because of Manticore. And now they were going head-on with them.

What if he lost Max too?

"When I left you there… you don't know how hard it was for me."

"I don't blame you," she answered.

"I know you don't. That's not the point." He struggled with the words, trying to figure out how to express what he wanted to say. That was also part of the problem. He didn't know what he wanted to say. There was something, but he just – he didn't know.

So he just started talking, saying whatever words he _could_ form, and hoped that somehow it would lead to what he actually wanted to say.

"I was –" He searched for a word that fit. "I was scared. That by the time we came to get you out, something had happened to you. And… I didn't know what I would have done if they had hurt you."

She looked at him intently, brushing shoulders with him. "Nothing happened."

"I just –"

Her face was close now, merely inches from his. He moved forward, letting his forehead rest against hers, and their lips brushed in a whisper of a kiss…

_I love you_. Those were the words he wanted to say. Somewhere along the way, somewhere during the playful banter, the antagonistic remarks, and their many rescue missions, he had fallen for her. But he couldn't say them. He just couldn't. He had loved Rachel, and in the blink of an eye, he had lost her. She was gone and it had hurt so badly. Losing Rachel had almost destroyed him. Losing Max would surely finish the job. He couldn't speak those three little words and let her in completely, because if he lost her, he was sure his heart wouldn't be able to take it.

"We need to get back," he said, standing suddenly. He refused to look in her eyes and see the hurt in there.

He couldn't let her in.

He couldn't love her.

For both of their sakes.

* * *

The eight of them stood outside the fence of Manticore, the second time in several days for Max and Alec. Tinga, Logan and Lydecker remained inside of the van they had found in order to be their eyes for the mission.

"Everyone remember their jobs?" Zack asked.

"We don't have a genetically enhanced memory for nothing, Zack," Jondy quipped. Still, she recited the plan.

"Zane and I will go down service corridor 3 beta to the west end of the building and set charges to the generators located there."

"Syl and I will go down service corridor 4 alpha to the main generators there and set charges," Krit said.

"I'll go down corridor 7 delta to section C of the barracks to grab Brin," Ben added.

"And you, me, and Alec will take the basement to the east airshaft and proceed to the DNA lab," Max finished.

"At 0415 we set the charges. Everyone get out of the building by 0428, when the charges will be detonated from here. We rendezvous here by 0445." He took the container that Lydecker gave him and shoved it into his camo pants.

"Good luck you guys," Tinga whispered, as they jumped the fence and entered the building.

"Be safe."

* * *

Max felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as they slinked down the hallway, guns – or, in her case – knives, at the ready. She saw that Zack looked atypically nervous, and put a hand out to calm him.

"You okay, big brother?"

"I'm good, Maxie."

"Logan," she said into her com. "How's it look?"

"_You're clear all the way to the lab_," his voice replied.

"Copy that."

The three of them ran swiftly down the corridor. Zack whipped out the container and grimaced as he took what was in it in his hands.

"Nasty," Alec whispered.

Zack held the eye up to the scanner, and all three of them gave a small sigh of relief as the light glowed green.

"What the –"

The room they entered had hundreds of small white drawers that made up the wall, with a barcode placed over each one. Zack touched first one, and then another.

"Look Max. It's me, and you." His hand moved to the side. "And there's Ben, and Alec. It's all of us."

She turned away from the cases. "Let's set the charges."

The three of them worked quickly, placing the charges on each side of the room.

"The target is primed," Alec said into his com.

"_Copy that," _Tinga's smooth voice said._ "Get out of there."_

* * *

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Corporal?"

"I thought I should let you know that Colonel Burgess was scanned into the DNA lab several minutes ago, but if I recall correctly he was temporarily on leave due to his wife's pregnancy."

Renfro stood. "We have intruders. Alert the rest of the facility and gather up the X7s. I think we'll need them tonight."

* * *

They were blurring down the corridor when an alarm started to blare.

"They know we're here!" Alec shouted into his com.

"_We've been made," _Lydecker's voice said. _"All units, withdraw to the perimeter. All units withdraw."_

"_Roger that,"_ they heard Krit say.

"_We're on our way,"_ Jondy said.

"_I can't find Brin! She's not in the barracks!" _Ben's frantic voice yelled.

"_Leave her, soldier. You need to get out of there."_ There was a silence. _"493!"_ he barked. _"You will retreat to the perimeter." _

"_Will do,"_ Ben finally replied.

* * *

"How did they get in here without us knowing?" Renfro barked. A young technician tapped away frantically at the keys.

"They must have hacked into the surveillance system." He typed in a few more commands, and the video feed popped up on screen.

"_The target is primed."_

"God no. 734! 798! Get down to the lab and disable those charges!"

"Yes ma'am," they said, hurrying out the door. They weren't far from the lab, and were already nearing it under a minute.

"Jace, wait!" Brin called.

"We have to disable the charges!"

"Jace, stop." Brin grabbed the other woman's shoulder, yanking her backward. "This is a good thing."

"Without that lab, Manticore won't be able to make any new transgenics. We have to save it."

"Jace, do you hear yourself? Look! _Look at me!_" Jace struggled to resist, but Brin knew she didn't want to risk any blow that might land on her abdomen.

"Max and the others are here. This is your chance! We can get out of here! You… and your baby. Do you really want your baby born here? Who knows what they'll do to it?"

"They will do what is necessary, and I will comply with my orders."

"Even if they do to your baby what they did to us?" Brin questioned.

"I… I don't –"

"Jace… _please_."

* * *

"Syl, you've got trouble behind you, 30 meters and closing," Logan said.

"_Copy that."_

"Ben, there are some… kids? In front of you, 40 meters."

Lydecker suddenly pushed him out of the way, grabbing the headset from him. Tinga gave him a puzzled look as he started to bark into the com. "Take another route, Ben. Those are X7s, built with hive minds. You don't want to mess with them. There's another exit to your right about 15 meters ahead."

"_Got it." _

The three of them watched as one by one, the X5s cleared the building. Alec was the last one to run out.

"He's clear," Tinga said. "Detonate."

Lydecker's finger hovered over the button. "I…"

She placed her hand dangerously at his neck. "Do it, or you're going to have a long sleep."

He pushed the button.

* * *

"_Alec? Where are you?"_

"Almost there," he said, blurring through the woods alone. "Where's Max?"

Somewhere along the way he had gotten separated from Max and Zack, but they couldn't be far behind or ahead. He only hoped that the others were okay and that everyone had made it out safely.

"_She's on her way,"_ Tinga's voice crackled.

He ran harder, falling to the ground when another explosion went off, and then got up again, urging his legs to move faster. He was close – so close to the van, and then they'd all be off. He could barely believe that they had done it – they had taken done Manticore. There was no more need to run and hide. They were free.

"Wait! Do you know who I am?"

That was Max's voice. _She must be in the clearing up ahead_. Another couple of steps, and he saw that she was standing in front of a young child no older than ten or so. He instantly recognized the similarities between the two as well as another thing –

She was an X7. Fully under Manticore's control and creepy as hell. He had never liked them when he had been at Manticore, with their blank eyes and mechanical movements.

Max didn't know what she was, though. The X6 generation had only just been created before the '09 escape. She didn't know the dangers of the X7s.

He saw the gun tilt up.

"NO!"

It wasn't like in the movies. Time didn't slow down. If anything, it sped up. His mind was no longer actively working – he didn't even realize he was barreling into her until they hit the ground. The deafening boom of the shot still rang in his ears. He expected to feel pain from the bullet wound, but there was nothing, other than a couple sore spots from the way they had landed.

There wasn't any pain…

He looked down, to Max's prone figure that was trapped under his. He rolled her over gently, and shook his head in disbelief. Blood was seeping through the front of her shirt, staining his hands red.

He had been too late.

He hadn't been fast enough. He had been…

"Max? Max!" His body was shaking, and he roughly jostled her head. "Max! No. Max, wake up! Please! Come on, damn it!" His lip was trembling, and he felt the horror of it happening all over again. He had watched Rachel die. He hadn't been able to stop it.

He hadn't been able to keep Max from being shot.

He was a failure. Manticore was right. He was a failure. Couldn't keep Rachel alive, couldn't save Max…

"Alec," she whispered so softly it could have been the wind.

His hearing picked up the slow drum of her heart. Heard when it spluttered and tried to keep going.

Heard when it stopped.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. I'm evil. I get the feeling that this chapter might be overly long, but I really wanted to end it at that spot. I hope since it's so long though that it doesn't have the feeling of being dragged out, or of repetitiveness.

I promise I'll update much quicker this time around, so I don't keep you waiting too long on this cliffhanger. ;)

It would be great if you could let me know what you think.


	14. Us Against the World

Disclaimer: I thought I owned Dark Angel, but it ended up being a dream. So Dark Angel (including its original plot and characters) belongs to James Cameron and co.

A/N: Well here we go. This is the last chapter, so I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. It's been a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the conclusion. :)

* * *

'_Cause I know if I'm falling, you won't let me hit the ground  
If the boat is sinking, I know you won't let me drown_

_If the sun shuts down and decided not to shine no more (No more)  
I would still have you, you, you, you, you, you, you  
If we see the last day and they say we gotta go to war (To War)  
I'll be fighting with you, you, you, you, you  
Because it's us against the world_

_Us Against the World, Christina Milian_

He was kneeling over her, staring blankly at her bloodied body without being able to move. He heard the loud thumping of his heart in contrast with the complete silence of her own, and wanted the dreadful noise to stop. He didn't want to hear it, didn't want to hear that strong marching drum that meant that he had been the one to survive instead of her. Tear tracks made their way down the side of his face, but he made no sound. He felt numb and hollow, like an emptied vessel.

His ears were ringing, but he still heard a gun being cocked at him and dimly remembered that the X7 was still in the forest. Still, he made no move to get out of the way, just continued to sit there in shock and caress the side of her face.

"Alec!"

His head turned a fraction to the right, and saw Zack leaping onto the X7, pummeling her into the ground. Zack's eyes widened as he caught sight of Max's motionless body, and then his gaze flicked to Alec.

"What the hell are you doing? Help her!"

He heard the words, but still, he couldn't move. The sound of the gunshot repeated itself over and over again in his mind, just as the explosion that had taken Rachel's life had haunted his dreams for months afterwards.

"Are you just going to let her die?" Zack yelled furiously, struggling to keep the X7 down. "You don't care about her! You never did!"

A low growl made its way out of his mouth and all he saw was red as he started stalking towards the other transgenic. However, he stopped short, realizing the true purpose of Zack's words had only been to raise him out of his stupor.

He blurred back to Max's side, and this time he let the soldier in him take control. He assessed her injuries, tearing a piece of his shirt and pressing it forcefully against the bullet wound to staunch the blood flow. Then he lowered his lips to her cold ones, and breathed out once, and then again. It struck him as ironic that the first time he was really able to kiss her, it was to prevent her from dying. His hands then moved to her chest and started compressions. He had never been a praying man, but in that moment Alec prayed with all he had that she would start breathing again.

_She will, _he thought determinedly. He wasn't about to let her die. He wasn't going to fail this time.

He finished the compressions and placed his cheek against her mouth, giving another two breaths when he felt that she still wasn't breathing. A moment later, Zack appeared on her other side.

"I'll do the compressions. You do the breaths."

"I've got it," Alec answered, placing his hands over her chest again. "You keep watch for any more X7s."

He continued the CPR, but with each cycle he became increasingly desperate. Normal humans could last for 4-6 minutes without oxygen before irreversible brain damage would occur. X5s were tougher than that and could last several minutes longer, but they were already nearing the four minute mark.

"Come on Maxie," he whispered. "Breathe for me. You gonna let yourself be killed by yourself?"

They were nearing five minutes now, and he was fighting not to break down. His muscles rippled as he pushed down on her chest forcefully, but with every movement, more and more blood was dripping out from her wound. He choked back a sob and grit his teeth as he continued, trusting that Zack would cover them if anyone else appeared.

There. There was the tiniest flutter under his fingertips. He didn't stop though. He breathed into her mouth, unable to stop a single tear from escaping and landing on her cheek. He breathed again, thinking that he'd gladly give her all the oxygen he had – die for her – if only she would wake up.

The pulse grew a little bit stronger so that he could finally hear it, though it was still much too weak to sustain her for long.

"Zack!" he called. "I've got a pulse, but I don't know what we can do for her out here."

"We need to get her to Krit. He had the most medic experience. He can do a better job than we can."

Alec shook his head. "We can't move her."

"Then what? We can't take her back to Manticore. You know Max would rather die than go back, and besides – if she gets taken back there, she's as good as dead anyway."

Alec hung his head, conceding his point. "Fine. Let's go."

The two of them gently picked up her body and moved as quickly as they dared while they listened for that soft flutter, that small sign that she was still alive.

She'd live. He would make sure of that.

* * *

"Alec? Zack?" Syl gasped in surprise when she saw who they carried in their arms. "Maxie? Is she –"

"She's still alive," Zack said grimly. "Barely." He saw that everyone was already in the van, most of them injured in one way or another. "We need Krit."

Krit stepped over various limbs in the cramped van to get to where they were and stopped short at the sight of Max. He looked to the first aid kit he had in his hand.

"Shit. We're going to need more than this."

"We have more at the front," Syl said, holding one hand out to Logan, who handed her some antiseptic and bandages. The other hand remained firmly wrapped around the right side of her torso.

"You need to wrap up that wound soldier," Lydecker said while keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. She glared at him.

"If you bark orders at anyone again, I'm going to kill you."

She almost expected him to point out that he was the one driving, but he quieted after that.

"Max?" Logan called out questioningly. He swallowed with difficulty. "Will she… um…"

"Let Krit work, Logan," Tinga said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "He's the best medic out of all of us." She shifted slightly, adjusting Jondy's position on her lap. The redhead's head kept lolling to the side, and her left arm was displayed in an unnatural angle.

"Are you going to reset that?" Logan asked her.

Tinga chuckled. "Not while she's unconscious. She might attack me without thinking. She's fine, just a mild concussion and a broken arm, I think."

"Yeah, well those bastards broke my other leg," Ben grumbled. "I'm not going to be able to move anywhere."

"Just be glad I dragged you out of there before that creepy little kid broke more than your leg," Zane said. He seemed to be one of the few unharmed. "Besides," he said softly, "look at Max." His gaze travelled to the four transgenics grouped at the back.

"Is she going to be okay?" Alec brushed a few bloodied strands away from her forehead.

"I don't know," Krit answered honestly.

Alec's fist clenched. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Exactly that. She has substantial damage, but luckily the bullet barely missed a direct hit to her heart."

"I pushed her out of the way. It must've changed the angle slightly."

Krit grimaced. "The location of the bullet is tricky. It's millimeters from the aorta. I don't know if I can get it out without her bleeding out. We don't have the necessary tools here."

"I have a friend who's a doctor. He could probably get her a private room and the necessary surgery," Logan said quietly.

"No," Zack said. "We can't risk it. He'll have to run blood tests and stuff. He'll know she's not normal."

"He owes me a few favours. I can ask him to meet us halfway. There's a big medical center at Boise that he could use, and it won't take too long to get there." He glanced at Max. "Besides…" His eyes flicked to the three men. "Do you think she'll make it to Seattle?"

Zack closed his eyes, making a decision. "Fine. Make the call." He looked at Lydecker. "And you – that'll be your last stop. We'll leave you there, and you're never going to be in our lives again."

The man nodded, though his face was a little sad. "Understood."

* * *

Brin yanked Jace down as an explosion rocked the building. Plaster rained down on them as another explosion went off, this one a bit farther away.

"It would have been nice if they hadn't put so many charges," Brin muttered. "Are they trying to barbecue me?"

Brin grabbed Jace's hand and led her down the opposite hallway. Jace lagged behind, still uncertain, but Brin yanked her arm forcefully in order to get her to keep up.

"734?"

Brin saw the lost look on Jace's face as well as the inability to decide which course of action to take.

Fine then. She would make it for her. She wasn't leaving this place without her.

"We're getting out of here. To hell with Manticore." She gripped Jace's hand. "That's us out there. That's our family. We don't belong here."

She tugged her along again, and then they were running towards one of the exits. During all the commotion that was going on, it wasn't likely that someone would stop them. Others would just assume they were running for cover or to get something done.

"734! 798!"

_Shit_. Brin stilled, yet her hand remained on Jace's arm.

"Ma'am?" She tried to make her voice sound as neutral as possible.

Renfro had her hands over her head to deflect any plaster that continued to rain down on them. "You must stop the fires at the western and main generators! Get down there!"

"Ma'am, with all due respect, there must already be soldiers working on that. If not, it shouldn't take long for the fires to die out themselves. I assume someone has lowered the oxygen levels in the air?"

"Get down there!" she yelled. She hesitated, and then said: "The fires won't die out fast enough. They could cause other explosions to go off."

"All of the explosions were synchronized to go off at the same time. Other explosions won't start unless –"

Realization dawned on both of them. _Unless there are other charges set there._

Of course Renfro would have charges already in place, in the event that Manticore had been exposed. She could burn the place down, and all anyone would know was that a VA hospital had perished in a freak accident, along with all the "patients" inside. Plausible deniability.

"You were going to kill us," Jace said. "We're… we're nothing to you."

She must have already known that, but it was only hitting her now. Jace's jaw clenched and she surged forward in one fluid move before Brin could stop her, taking Renfro in her arms and letting her fall to the ground a second later.

"Then you're nothing to us either," she spoke to the woman's lifeless body.

All of a sudden the facility rocked again, and more explosions went off. Smoke clouded the air and more and more debris was littering the floor.

Brin took Jace's arm again, but Jace stopped her.

"The barracks! They're on fire!"

A loud pounding sound resonated in the halls as the transgenics trapped in their barracks started to slam themselves against the doors. Then they began yelling until all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, the yelling and the pounding.

Brin pursed her lips. "We need to get to the Control room."

They ran down the hallways, trying to block out the anguished cries coming from the others, some of them children no more than 6 years old. Brin kicked the door open to an empty room, rage building inside of her as she realized that whoever worked here must have ran and saved himself while the rest of them fried.

She looked at all the numerous buttons, trying to figure out which ones to push, but she shook her head. There were too many.

"I'll do it. You take watch."

She and Jace traded places, with Jace frantically typing away to open the barracks and Brin keeping her gun at the ready. She raised it as a figure formed through the smoke, heading their way, but didn't fire.

"510," she acknowledged.

He had pulled his shirt off and held it against his nose and mouth in an effort to avoid inhaling the fumes. "What's going on? All the doors are locked off."

Brin thought for a moment. "We've been betrayed by command. 798 is attempting to reopen the doors."

He looked shocked at first, then stern. He coughed twice, and then tore off a part of the shirt to hand it to her. "I'll help. Let's get those doors open."

Between the three of them, they managed to open all of the cells within a matter of minutes. They tried to use the overhead speaker to transmit a message to all of the transgenics, but it was no use. The system was fried and it probably wouldn't have been heard anyway.

Then they were running. Brin couldn't wipe the look of glee off of her face as they cleared the exit and were now making their way towards the fence. This was it.

They were free.

* * *

It had been several hours since Max had come out of surgery, but all Dr. Carr had said was that they had removed the bullet, yet she had lost a lot of blood, and all they could do was wait. On the way to the hospital they had lost her twice, but somehow they had managed to bring her back both times.

Alec had never been one to believe in miracles, but somehow he had managed to suspend his disbelief long enough to pray for one to happen.

"She'll make it, right?" Zack asked. His voice was more subdued than usual, and he had long since put away the gun that he had pointed toward the doctor as a precautionary measure.

"It's touch and go at the moment," Dr. Carr answered. "She's in critical condition, but you guys managed to slow the bleeding before you got here, and like you said," he nodded at Krit, "the bullet didn't pierce the heart, which would have a required a heart transplant. Those are good things. All we can really do is wait."

"Thanks Sam," Logan said, shaking the man's hand.

"Anything for Eyes Only," the doctor responded. "You let me know if he needs anything else."

Logan could feel the inquisitive glances from several of the transgenics, but none of them said a word.

"Can I go see her?" Alec asked. He expected someone – probably Zack – to cut him off and demand to go in first, but surprisingly even _he_ stayed quiet.

Dr. Carr sighed. "I don't advise it, but as long as you're quiet I'll get the nurses to let you in. Just give me a moment."

Zack grabbed hold of the doctor's arm. "And all the tests you ran, all the results… where do those go?"

Carr nodded at Logan. "I've given him all the papers. Your secret's safe with me."

He left, and Zack turned to Logan, shoving his hands in his pockets and rolling his shoulders.

"Thanks," he said grudgingly. "For… all this."

"Don't mention it. Max is my friend too." Logan nodded toward the door to Max's room, where Dr. Carr was just walking away. "Alec, I think you can go now."

"Yeah."

"You do realize he's in love with her, don't you big brother?" Jondy stepped up beside Zack, her left arm temporarily in a sling. Another couple of hours and she wouldn't need it anymore. "You're going to have to stop growling at him if he's going to be a part of our family."

Zack grumbled. "Whatever. But if the asshole hurts her, then –"

"Tone down the overprotective thing. You look and sound like a caveman."

Zack's lips quirked to the side. "That so, little sister?" He jokingly swiped at her but she blurred out of the way just in time.

She slung an arm around his shoulder, and nudged Zane playfully with her hip.

"Maxie's gonna be fine. She's got a lot of people who love her waiting for her."

* * *

Alec closed the door softly and then made his way over to a chair beside the bed, eyeing the surroundings with distaste. He hated hospitals, especially the smell of antiseptic floating through the air. It was just all so clinical, much like Manticore.

They didn't have to worry about Manticore anymore though. The DNA lab was destroyed. They'd shut down. He just hoped that their victory wouldn't be at the cost of Max's life.

"Hey there."

It hurt to see her there hooked up to so many machines to keep her alive. Max was a strong, fiery woman who had never looked as fragile as she did now. The colour had leached out of her usually rosy lips and cheeks, leaving them pale. Her dark hair lay limp to the side of her face, and it was only the gentle rise and fall of her chest that reassured him that she was still breathing.

He took her hand, clasping it lightly in his own.

"Just your resident pain-in-the-ass, coming to bug you as usual. Don't think that just because you got shot you get a vacation from me annoying you." He chuckled a bit, but the sound was anything but humorous.

"I remember when I met you right after Rachel died. I think you nearly bit my head off in the first minute." He smiled. "But you had me from the get-go. Took me a long time to figure out why. My running theory was that I was just strangely attracted to abusive women who didn't like me."

He turned her hand over, running the pad of his thumb across it. "Then I found out who you were. One of the '09ers, someone from Manticore. You can imagine how weird it was when I figured out I didn't care. It didn't matter that you were a traitor – I still wanted to be around you. And then when you found out what I was, I wasn't alone anymore. I had a friend."

He lowered his lips to the skin on her palm. "You were my first friend, Maxie. All of us at Manticore were supposed to be perfect in every way: attractive, strong, and intelligent. But you taught me so much more than they did. You taught me how to be a human being; you showed me that it was okay to trust other people, even ordinaries, and that family came first. You showed me that it was okay to _feel_. And that's something that I'm grateful for. So I guess that's why I fell in love with you. You did your own thing: you're strong and loyal. I've always admired that about you."

He tangled his fingers in her hair, refusing to let any tears fall. There wouldn't be any reason for them – she would wake up, and everything would be fine. He knew that. Max was too strong to die.

"You always said that surviving wasn't the same as living. So that's why you need to fight Maxie, fight hard. Because if you die on me, I can survive. But I can't _live_ without you."

He almost expected her to wake up, just like they usually did in the movies at a profession of love. But her eyes remained closed, and her breathing even.

"Come on Maxie. Come back so you can kick my ass for turning into such a sap."

She didn't move and this time he couldn't stop the tears that were threatening to overflow. Why couldn't something go right for _once?_ Just this one time. Why couldn't she wake up?

He stood, wiping his face with his shirtsleeve. He should go. The others had every right to sit there with her as well, and he had already been in there for a long time.

He walked to the door when the heart monitor blipped irregularly for a second. He turned around, thinking that he had been imagining things when it made the noise again. His eyes flicked to Max, who was still. He focused on her, and finally noticed an almost imperceptible crinkling of her nose. His breath rushed out and he went back to her side.

"Max? Max, can you hear me?"

It took another minute, and then there was movement behind her eyelids. A few minutes more and her eyelids flickered, finally opening all the way.

"Hey," she croaked. She coughed. "I feel like I've been shot. Again."

"I know what you mean," he said, taking her hand again. "Shark DNA my ass. You were out for hours. What made you come back?"

She smiled at him. "Well, I was kinda enjoying the quiet, and then I realized I sort of missed your constant babbling. Weird, huh?"

"You heard my big long speech though, right?"

She shook her head, and then winced at the pain from that. "Nope. Didn't hear nothing."

His jaw dropped open. "Seriously? What about that whole theory that people in comas or whatever can hear what other people say?"

She frowned pitifully. "Was it incredibly deep?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'll write it down for you, later," he joked. A serious expression came over his face. "You could have died on me. And if you had, I would have brought you back to life and then killed you myself."

Alec cringed at his makeshift declaration of love, but it didn't matter. He knew she understood what he was trying to say. He bent over her, putting one hand down on the mattress and then kissed her, a real kiss this time that had been a long time coming. He parted her lips with his tongue and finally tasted her, his body burning with desire. He felt her suckle on his bottom lip and moaned at the sensation, adjusting his head so that he could kiss her deeper.

They were so occupied that they forgot that they were in a hospital.

With Max attached to a heart monitor.

Which was currently soaring off the charts.

Finally a nurse walked in to see what was going on with her monitor, and gasped in surprise at the scene.

"Out! OUT!" she yelled, swatting Alec. The elderly woman had a surprising amount of strength as she pushed him towards the door. "Young people today," she muttered.

"Alec!" Max called, right before he was thrown out the door. She grinned. "I can't live without you either, dumbass."

He grinned back. "So you _did_ hear –"

"OUT!"

* * *

"Dude, can you quit macking on my sister? I gotta piss and you guys are blocking the bathroom." Krit tapped his foot impatiently against the floor of Alec's apartment.

Alec took a second to breathe and turned his face sideways. "Use that enhanced bladder of yours and hold it."

It was several days after the raid. The hospital had insisted on Max staying at least another two days after her "miraculous recovery", and she had humored them, figuring that Manticore couldn't come after them anymore and she might as well reap the benefits.

Like the Jell-O. Max had developed an affinity for Jell-O. Especially the strawberry kind.

There was a knock on the door, and Jondy bounced over to open it, allowing Logan to roll in with several pizza boxes on his lap.

She licked her lips. "A man that comes bearing food. I think I love you." She bent down, grabbed the pizzas in one hand, and gave Logan a quick peck fully on the lips.

Alec almost laughed outright at the look of distress and helplessness on Zack's face. Logan just looked stunned, but somewhat pleased as well.

"Guys, move," Krit said again, rolling his eyes. "Or I could just piss right here. It's your floor, Alec."

Max smacked her brother upside the head and they moved reluctantly, choosing to plop themselves down on the couch, Max sitting on Alec's lap. Zane turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, searching for something to watch.

Alec's eyes caught something, and he motioned for Zane to go back. "There."

"_We have just received breaking news. Several days ago, a VA hospital located in Wyoming burned down, at first leading the authorities to believe that everyone had tragically died in the fire. However over the past couple of days, there have been a growing number of sightings by locals of what they are calling 'mutants'. Let's go to Bob Callaway, the first person to report one of these sightings."_

A man in his fifties appeared on screen, talking eagerly into the microphone. _"Yeah. I woke up a coupla days ago because something was making a huge racket in my backyard. So I went around back, and found this – this lizard man, digging through my trash. Scariest thing I ever seen in my life."_

The news returned to the newscaster. _"There have been hundreds of other reported sightings in states close to Wyoming. Just yesterday, Liz Friar of Idaho said that what appeared to be a dog-man came running around the corner chasing a cat. At 11 o'clock this morning, Casey Rollins from Colorado claims that a panther lady tried to attack her and was only driven off when police shot at her. The big question is: who – or what – exactly are these people, if they can be called that, and what is their intention toward the general public? In other words: Are. They. Dangerous?"_

"What the hell happened?" Ben murmured. "We didn't burn the place down. We didn't set nearly enough charges for that."

"Yeah, and we didn't set everyone free, either," Syl added. "I doubt Renfro would have."

Zane sighed. "There goes our freedom. We're exposed now. Sure, they only know about the transhumans, but it's probably only a matter of time until they find out that there are transgenics that look exactly like them."

"How could this have happened?" Zack asked.

"Doesn't matter. It did, and I guess we're just going to have to deal with it," Max said. "They're family."

"So what do we do?" Alec asked, wrapping his arms around Max. "It's us against the world now. Things are gonna get ugly."

"We'll do what we've been doing our whole lives," she answered. Everyone turned their heads towards her, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"We fight."

* * *

A/N: Well there you have it folks. I actually finished this story. Before anyone asks, no, for the time being, I do not have a sequel planned. While I'd love to continue the story, I don't want to delve right into a sequel immediately, just because that's often how I quickly lose interest in what I'm writing. BUT I do have some ideas for a sequel which is why I kept this story so open-ended, so we'll see how that pans out.

Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate it. :)


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